Editing World of A Song of Ice and Fire (section)

==Essos==
Part of the narrative in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' lies across the Narrow Sea from Westeros, an area comprising the large eastern continent named Essos. Being roughly the size of [[Eurasia]],<ref group=S name=ssm_geography/> Essos has geography and climate that vary greatly. The western coastline is characterized by green rolling hills, the massive Forest of [[#Qohor|Qohor]], and extensive island chains such as [[#Braavos|Braavos]] and [[#Lys|Lys]]. The middle of the continent is covered by the flat grasslands of the Dothraki Sea and the arid lands known as the Red Waste to the east. Beyond the Red Waste lies the city of Qarth. The south is dominated by dry rolling hills and has a [[Mediterranean climate]], with a coastline along the Summer Sea and [[#Slaver's Bay|Slaver's Bay]]. The north coast of the mainland is separated from the polar cap by the Shivering Sea. To the south, across the Summer Sea, lies the uncharted jungle continent of Sothoryos.<ref group=S name=hbo_viewersguide_map/>
Much of the fictional history of Essos relates to Valyria, a city located on a peninsula in southern Essos and the origin of [[House Targaryen]] before the destruction of the Valyrian Empire in an unspecified cataclysm.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Map}}{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Appendix: House Targaryen, p. 832}} After the destruction of Valyria, the cities of Astapor, Yunkai, and Meereen regained independence and ruled their respective areas as [[city-states]]. The area is known in the books as Slaver's Bay.

===Free Cities and vicinity {{anchor|The Free Cities|Free Cities|Andalos|Rhoyne}}===
Across the Narrow sea on the western side of Essos lie the nine Free Cities, independent city-states that are mostly on islands or along the coast. They are Lys, Myr, Pentos, Braavos, Lorath, Norvos, Qohor, Volantis and Tyrosh. Although most Free Cities are named early in the first novel,{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Daenerys I, pp. 30–31}} the books only provide a map of this region in ''A Dance with Dragons''. Mountains to the east separate the coast from the plains of the [[#The Dothraki Sea|Dothraki Sea]], though gaps in the mountain range provide the Dothraki people some access to the Free Cities. The Free Cities were colonies built by the ancient Valyrian Freehold, and later declared independence after the Doom of Valyria. An exception to this is Braavos, which was founded by refugees fleeing Valyrian expansion, escaped slaves and other rabble.{{sfn|''A Feast for Crows''|loc=Cat of the Canals, pp. 722–728}} The languages of the Free Cities are derivatives of [[Valyrian languages|High Valyrian]].{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Daenerys II, pp. 102–104}}

The Free Cities span an area characterized by the river Rhoyne, which the local character Yandry describes as "the greatest river in the world".{{sfn|''A Dance with Dragons''|loc=Tyrion IV, p. 182}} Its banks are the homeland of the Rhoynar, who worship the river as "Mother Rhoyne".{{sfn|''A Feast for Crows''|loc=The Queenmaker, p. 436}} As mapped in ''A Dance with Dragons'', the Rhoyne originates from the conjunction of two of its tributaries, the Upper Rhoyne and the Little Rhoyne, southeast of the ruins of Ghoyan Drohe. The headwaters of the Upper Rhoyne lie in Andalos, the homeland of the Andals between Braavos and Pentos.{{sfn|''A Dance with Dragons''|loc=Map}} The Rhoyne's course runs southeast to turn due south after Dagger Lake, where river pirates hide on and around the many lake islands.{{sfn|''A Dance with Dragons''|loc=Tyrion IV, pp. 187–189}} The Rhoyne gains in width considerably as it gets fed by more tributaries, until it opens into the Summer Sea in a delta near the Free City of Volantis.{{sfn|''A Dance with Dragons''|loc=Map}}

====Braavos====
Unique among the Free Cities, Braavos was not a Valyrian colony, but a secret refuge from Valyrian expansion.{{sfn|''A Feast for Crows''|loc=Cat of the Canals, pp. 722–728}} It is a city spread over hundreds of tiny islands in a lagoon on the northwestern end of Essos, where the Narrow Sea and Shivering Sea meet.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Jon V, p. 447}}{{sfn|''A Dance with Dragons''|loc=Map}} Braavos is home to the 'Iron Bank', one of the wealthiest banks in the known world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/game-of-thrones-everything-to-know-about-the-iron-bank-of-braavos-2017-8#what-is-the-iron-bank-of-braavos-1|title = Everything you need to know about the Iron Bank of Braavos, which will be important on 'Game of Thrones' next Sunday|website = [[Business Insider]]}}</ref> Braavos is also known for its swordsmen known as 'bravos',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/wikis/game-of-thrones/Braavos|title = Braavos - Game of Thrones Wiki Guide - IGN| date=5 April 2012 }}</ref> and its mysterious assassins, the Faceless Men. It is also famed for the Titan of Braavos, both a fortress and a statue. The ruler of Braavos is known as the Sealord and it is from the sea that the city's power and wealth flows. The hulls of Braavosi ships are painted purple{{sfn| ''A Dance with Dragons''|loc=Davos, pp. 194}} and their merchant ships sail to many distant lands and bring their trade and wealth back home.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Arya IV, pp. 530–531}} Braavos has many moneylenders and the Iron Bank of Braavos lends money to foreign nations, especially The Crown, which has borrowed millions.

Braavosi dress in flashy colors while the very rich and powerful dress in black and in blues that are almost black. Officials of Braavos, called keyholders and justiciars, wear drab coats of brown or grey. The city is also renowned worldwide for its [[courtesan]]s. Every courtesan has her own barge and servants to work them. The beauty of famed courtesans has inspired many a song. They are showered with gifts from goldsmiths and craftsmen beg for their custom. Nobility and rich merchants pay the courtesans large amounts of money to appear alongside them at events, and bravos are known to kill each other in their names. The character Syrio Forel, former first sword of the Sealord of Braavos, introduces Arya Stark to a unique form of Braavosi sword fighting, called Water Dancing.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Arya IV, pp. 530–531}} The style is a refined form of fencing in which the practitioner stands sideways and wields a slender blade. Pugnacious bravos fill the city, frequently dueling to display their skill.

Braavos was inspired by [[Venice]], Italy.<ref group=S name=FrankelBook/> It was filmed in Croatian towns of [[Šibenik]], and [[Kaštel Gomilica]] In the TV series, locations used as Braavos included the [[Croatia]]n town of [[Šibenik]] and the [[Spain|Spanish]] town of [[Girona]].<ref group=S name=Skyscanner/>

====Pentos====
[[File:Palazz Verdala - panoramio.jpg|thumb|The TV series filmed Illyrio's mansion in Pentos at [[Verdala Palace]] in Malta.]]
Pentos is a major trading port on a bay of the western coast. Dominated by an architecture of square brick towers, it is headed by a Prince who is chosen by the de facto rulers of the city, known as Magisters. Khalasars occasionally make their way this far from the Dothraki Sea, but the Pentoshi are spared much of the raiding and invasions by paying tribute to their khals. Men from Pentos wear dyed and forked beards. Unlike in most other Free Cities, slavery is outlawed and Pentos is forbidden from participating in the slave trade due to terms set by the victorious Braavosi in a past war. However, Pentos only heeds these terms on a surface level: servants of the wealthy and powerful are still treated as slaves, collared in bronze and branded without the financial means of refusing their masters, and influential Pentoshi figures such as Magister Illyrio Mopatis still deal covertly in the slave trade.

In the television adaptation, Daenerys's scenes in the pilot episode were filmed in [[Morocco]].<ref group=S name=dailybeast_secrets/> The production redressed and repainted the Jerusalem sets of ''[[Kingdom of Heaven (film)|Kingdom of Heaven]]'' near [[Ouarzazate]], Morocco, to serve as the courtyard of Illyrio's mansion where Daenerys first meets Khal Drogo.<ref group=S name=grrm_blog10526 /> When the pilot was delivered, HBO scrapped all of the footage shot in Morocco, and the Pentos scenes were re-shot in Malta.<ref group=S name=nyt/> The exterior scenes at Illyrio's mansion in Pentos were shot at [[Verdala Palace]], the 16th century summer palace of the [[president of Malta]].<ref group=S name="Den of Geek 29 February 2012"/> The [[Azure Window]], on the island of [[Gozo]] in Malta, was used for the location of Daenerys's wedding to Khal Drogo.<ref group=S name=go_hbofilmed/>

When Pentos reappeared in Season 5, it was filmed in Croatia.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}

====Volantis====
Volantis is a port on the southern coast of Essos, and is the oldest and proudest of the Free Cities. A fortification known as the Black Wall protects the oldest parts of the city.{{sfn|''A Dance with Dragons''|loc=Tyrion, Chapter 5}} The Black Wall is inhabited entirely by the wealthiest citizens who can claim unbroken descent from Old Valyria. The city is ruled by three [[triarchy|triarchs]], who are elected every year by free landholders of Volantis, and defended by slave soldiers called the "Tiger cloaks". Volantis is incredibly important to the slave market, and in the city there are five slaves to every free man.{{sfn|''A Dance with Dragons''|loc=Tyrion, Chapter 5}} All Volantene slaves have facial tattoos denoting their profession: for instance, sex slaves have tears tattooed on their faces, and the tiger cloaks have tiger stripes. The worship of [[R'hllor]] is the most influential religion of Volantis, especially among slaves.

The TV adaptation used locations in [[Córdoba, Andalusia|Córdoba]], Spain.

====Other Free Cities {{anchor|Lorath|Lys|Myr|Norvos|Qohor|Tyrosh|Volantis}}====
* '''Lorath''' is a port city on a group of northern islands.{{sfn|''A Dance with Dragons''|loc=Map}} It is the most isolated and financially the weakest. The character [[Jaqen H'ghar]] poses as a Lorathi in ''A Clash of Kings'', wearing long hair dyed red on one side and white on the other.{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Arya II, p. 86}}
* '''Lys''' sits astride a series of southern islands.{{sfn|''A Dance with Dragons''|loc=Map}} Unlike most inhabitants of the Free Cities the Lysene are homogenously Valyrian and thus have fair skin, hair, and eyes similar to the Targaryens. Lys is well known for its pleasure houses, training slaves in the arts of love and selling them as concubines and bed-slaves. Lys also frequently fights over control of the Stepstones and the Disputed Lands. There appears to be a love goddess whose worship is peculiar to Lys.{{citation needed|date=June 2012}} Dany's handmaiden Doreah and the pirate Salladhor Saan are Lysene.
* '''Myr''' is a coastal city renowned for their master lenscrafters, intricate [[lace]], and fine carpets. Similar to the Dornish the Myrmen are descended from Rhoynar and possess dark eyes and olive skin. Myrmen are also similar to Norvosi and Pentoshi in that they are ruled by magisters that are known to pay tribute to passing Dothraki khalasars. Myr is a hub of trade in both slaves and their signature green nectar wines. Myr frequently fights over control of the Disputed Lands.
* '''Norvos''' sits on the main continent in two parts, one atop a high hill and the other beside a low river. The city has three large bells, each with its own name and distinctive voice, that are rung frequently. The surrounding area is a land of rolling hills, terraced farms, and white-stucco villages. The climate is fairly mild. Norvosi can be recognized by their dyed and upswept mustaches. The city is run by a council of magisters that are known to pay tribute to passing Dothraki khalasars. It is also home to a group of bearded priests that train elite guardsmen. These guardsmen swear oaths of duty and consider themselves wedded to their distinctive long axes.
* '''Qohor''' is situated on the main continent, in the vast Forest of Qohor. It is known for its fine tapestries and its smiths, who have the rare ability to reforge Valyrian steel, even directly infusing the metal with a variety of different colors. The Black Goat is a prominent god in the city. Qohor's city guard has been composed solely of Unsullied [[eunuch]] slave soldiers ever since the Battle of the Three Thousand, when 3,000 Unsullied soldiers successfully defended the city against over 25,000 Dothraki horsemen. Guardsmen tie braids of human hair to their spears to commemorate the Dothraki cutting their braids in salute to Qohor's defenders.
* '''Tyrosh''', a coastal city-state ruled by an Archon, is infamous for its avarice. Traders deal extensively in slaves, Tyroshi pear brandy and dyes of many colors. The city features an abundance of pleasure houses, but they are not as highly regarded as those in Lys. Tyroshi master armorsmiths make intricate armor in fantastic shapes. Tyrosh is a popular center for the hiring of sellswords. The city is often drawn into the ongoing conflicts over the Disputed Lands and the Stepstones. The Tyroshi often wear forked beards and pointed mustaches dyed in bright colors. The character Daario Naharis is from Tyrosh.

===Central Essos===
This section covers the Essos locations east of the Free Cities that Daenerys Targaryen passes through on her travels in ''A Game of Thrones'' and ''A Clash of Kings'' before moving on to Slaver's Bay.

====Valyria====
Valyria is a peninsula in South-Central Essos, west of Slaver's Bay. Before the Doom of Valyria, it was the seat of the Valyrian Freehold, a massive empire thousands of years old. The Valyrians are characterized by their silver hair and violet eyes. Valyria was called the Freehold because every man who owned land was allowed to vote for their leaders. The Valyrians also used slaves to mine the Fourteen Flames, a series of volcanoes rich with ore. They subjugated the Ghiscari and the Rhoynar and established all of the Free Cities, save Braavos. They did this through their knowledge of dragonlore. Twoscore noble dynasties, known as dragonlords, rode and controlled dragons. Eventually, an event known as the Doom of Valyria, apparently involving a violent eruption of the Fourteen Flames, destroyed the Freehold and made Valyria an archipelago in the newly-formed Smoking Sea. The Targaryens are descendants of Old Valyria who escaped after Daenys the Dreamer's dream foretold of the eruption. The other noble families of Valyria mocked them, believing Daenys to be mad. Her father, Aenar Targaryen, believed her and successfully relocated the family to Dragonstone, an island on the east coast of Westeros, making them the only surviving dragonlords after the Doom.

====Dothraki Sea {{anchor|The Dothraki Sea|Dothraki Sea|Vaes Dothrak}}====
The Dothraki Sea is a vast, flat grassland on Essos. It is inhabited by the Dothraki people, a copper-skinned race of [[Warrior|warlike]] [[nomad]]s with their [[Dothraki language|own language]] and unique culture. The Dothraki live in hordes called khalasars, each led by a chief called a khal. Khalasars are broken into groups, called khas, which are each led by one of the khal's captains, called kos. Each khal and his khalasar owe fealty to a ruling council of royal priestesses, called the dosh khaleen, whose members are each a former khal's consort, called a khaleesi during the reign of her husband, one who became part of the dosh khaleen following his death.

Dothraki are expert riders and their horses are of prime importance in their culture, used for food, transportation, raw materials, warfare, and establishing social standing. They regularly raid other peoples.

George R. R. Martin said "The Dothraki were actually fashioned as an amalgam of a number of [[steppe]] and [[plains cultures]] ... [[Mongols]] and [[Huns]], certainly, but also [[Alans]], [[Sioux]], [[Cheyenne]], and various other [[Amerindian]] tribes ... seasoned with a dash of pure fantasy. So any resemblance to [[Arabs]] or [[Turkish people|Turks]] is coincidental. Well, except to the extent that the [[Turkic peoples|[historic] Turks]] were also originally horsemen of the steppes, not unlike the Alans, Huns, and the rest."<ref group=S name=grrm_blog120203/> He also noted that "In general, though, while I do draw inspiration from history, I try to avoid direct one-for-one transplants, [so] it would not be correct to say that the Dothraki are Mongols."<ref group=S name=grrm_blog120203/> There are several similarities with another group of fearsome, nomadic warriors – the [[Scythians]].<ref>{{cite news |title=The Dothraki and the Scythians: a game of clones? |url=https://blog.britishmuseum.org/the-dothraki-and-the-scythians-a-game-of-clones/ |work=The British Museum}}</ref>

The Dothraki have only one permanent city, called Vaes Dothrak, which serves as their capital. The Dosh Khaleen hold the city as their seat. It is filled with statues stolen from other cities the Dothraki conquered or raided. There is a law that no Dothraki may shed blood within the boundaries of Vaes Dothrak and that those who do are cursed. Two gigantic bronze stallions, whose hooves meet midair, form an arch above the entryway to the city.<ref group=S name=go_hbofilmed/> For the first season of the TV adaptation, Sandy Brae in the [[Mourne Mountains]] of Northern Ireland was chosen to stand in for Vaes Dothrak. The bronze stallions making up the Horse Gate as the main entrance of Vaes Dothrak, were later added using [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]] on two pedestals erected on location.<ref group=S name=mogot_swarming/>

====Lhazar====
Lhazar is an area of the semi-arid lands south of the Dothraki Sea. A region of pastures and hills, it is inhabited by the Lhazareen, a peaceful people with bronze skin, flat faces, and almond eyes. They are predominantly shepherds, called the Lamb Men by the Dothraki, who frequently prey on them. They worship a god called the Great Shepherd and believe that all of humanity is part of a single flock.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=}} The scenes at the village of the Lamb Men that is sacked by the Dothraki were filmed in [[Malta]], at the farming town of [[Manikata]].<ref group=S name=magot_dothraki/>

===Slaver's Bay {{anchor|Slaver's Bay|Slavers Bay|Slavers' Bay}}===
Slaver's Bay is a marginal sea of the Summer Sea,{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Map}} lying to the south of the Dothraki Sea, to the west of Lhazar and thousands of leagues to the east of the Free Cities.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys II, pp. 329–330}} The climate is very hot.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys II, pp. 322–323}} After a first mention in ''A Game of Thrones'' in relation to slavery,{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Daenerys VII, p. 667}} Daenerys Targaryen conquers the three great Slaver's Bay port city-states Astapor, Yunkai, and Meereen in ''A Storm of Swords''. She stays in Meereen throughout most of ''A Dance with Dragons''.

The cities were built from the rubble of Old Ghis, an ancient rival of Valyria that was crushed by Valyria thousands of years before the series' events.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys II, pp. 311–320}}{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys III, pp. 371–373}} The economies of the cities are largely based on slave labor and the slave trade.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys II, pp. 311–320}} Treatment of slaves is often harsh,{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys II, pp. 311–320}} while citizens live in relative luxury. Professional soldiers of all three cities wear outlandish costumes and hairstyles that limit their usefulness in battle. The cities' militaries are highly dependent on additional slave and mercenary armies for the actual fighting.

Present inhabitants of the bay are a mixed race that no longer speak the old Ghiscari tongue but variations of High Valyrian with a characteristic growl.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys II, pp. 311–320}} The ancient folk of Ghis, who name themselves the harpy's sons in Astapor, are said to have bristly red-black hair.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys II, pp. 311–320}} The Good Masters of Astapor all appear alike to Daenerys as "thick fleshy men with amber skin, broad noses, dark eyes. Their wiry hair was black or a dark red, or that queer mixture of red and black that was peculiar to Ghiscari".{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys III, pp. 368–369}} Only the freeborn men of Astapor are permitted to wear garments called tokars, whose fringes display their status.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys III, pp. 368–369}} Many Astapori women veil their face for the dust.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys II, pp. 322–323}} The Astapori are drenched in sweet perfumes.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys III, pp. 368–369}}

====Astapor====
The oldest city in Slaver's Bay. Astapor lies on the banks of the Worm River, a wide, slow, and crooked stream with wooded islands.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys III, p. 377}} Entering Astapor at the beginning of ''A Storm of Swords'', Daenerys experiences it as an ancient and dilapidated city that has long passed its glory days.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys II, pp. 322–323}} The city is dominated by its red brick architecture, and Arstan Whitebeard explains to Daenerys that the saying "Brick and blood built Astapor, ... and brick and blood her people" refers to the slaves who make the bricks.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys II, pp. 322–323}} Astapor's stepped pyramids, its fighting pits, streets, the surrounding walls and the Plaza of Pride are all made of red bricks.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys II, pp. 322–323}} The so-called Plaza of Punishment at Astapor's main gates is even larger than the Plaza of Pride.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys III, p. 377}}

The Plaza of Pride, which has a red-brick fountain and a huge bronze harpy statue in its center, serves as an open air slave market and a marshaling area for the Unsullied, elite eunuch spearmen known for discipline and effectiveness.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys II, pp. 311–320}} Astapor is the only city to sell Unsullied,{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys II, p. 117}} but also sells bed slaves, fieldhands, scribes, craftsmen, and tutors.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys III, pp. 368–369}} The Unsullied require a huge investment in both time and money by the Astapori who raise and train them,{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys II, pp. 311–320}} but they earn the most profitable of returns for the Good Masters of Astapor. The Unsullied wear spiked bronze hats,{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys II, p. 117}} and they obey at all costs, even if it demands their death.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys III, pp. 371–373}} They are given new slave names each day to be reminded of their worthlessness.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys II, pp. 311–320}} In times of attack, unsold Unsullied are deployed to the massive, crumbling red-brick walls that the Astapori no longer man.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys II, pp. 329–330}}

Daenerys decides to buy all of Astapor's trained and untrained Unsullied, over 8600 in number,{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys III, pp. 368–369}} and tells them to kill all adult Astapori slavers and soldiers when she leaves the city.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys III, p. 381}} She gives the power over Astapor to a council of former slaves led by a healer, a scholar and a priest, and tens of thousands of former slaves join her on her travels to Yunkai.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys IV, pp. 573–574}} A former butcher named Cleon fends off a scheme to have the Good Masters re-established, and was crowned as the King of Astapor in reward.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Daenerys VI, pp. 982}}

The TV show used the coastal town of [[Essaouira]], [[Morocco]] to film scenes in Astapor.<ref group="S" name="Skyscanner"/>

====Yunkai====
The smallest of the three cities, Yunkai, like Meereen, does not trade in Unsullied but is known for its fighting pits and its pleasure houses, both of which turn out slaves at a brisk pace. The city is similar to Astapor in architecture except for its smaller size and its use of yellow brick in its buildings instead of red. The slavers of Yunkai are known as the Wise Masters. Because of the city's lack of Unsullied, it relies on a mixed professional and slave army of approximately 4,000 with at least 1,000 mercenaries. Typical for Ghiscari, Yunkai soldiers wear impractical armor and oiled hair teased into enormous shapes, limiting their effectiveness.

Yunkish scenes were filmed in [[Aït Benhaddou]], Morocco in the TV show.<ref group="S" name="Skyscanner"/>

====Meereen====
The largest of the three slaver cities, Meereen has a population equaling that of Astapor and Yunkai combined. The city is also the wealthiest, as besides slaves it produces wine, with a metallic taste, the lands surrounding it have massive deposits of copper, and it grows olives, before the slavers burned the trees to starve out Daenerys's army. The city has architecture similar to that of its neighbors, but it is made of bricks of many colors. Its landscape is dominated by a massive pyramid, named the Great Pyramid, and the Temple of Graces, which is capped by a golden dome. Meereen is unique among the Ghiscari cities in that it is filled with many temples and pyramids. The slavers of Meereen are known as the Great Masters. It is built on the banks of the river Skahadhazan. After Daenerys conquers the city she continues to rule it has its queen to learn how to rule. The city eventually becomes under siege by an alliance of various city-states led by Yunkai, while a resistance known as the Sons of the Harpy rise up within.

For the [[Game of Thrones|HBO television series]], many of the scenes in Meereen were filmed in [[Split, Croatia|Split]] and the [[Fortress of Klis]], Croatia. In Season 5, Daznak's Pit in the city was shot in the Plaza de Toros in [[Osuna]], Spain.<ref group="S" name="Skyscanner"/>

=== Eastern Essos ===
====Red Waste {{anchor|The Red Waste}}====
The Red Waste is a great desert-like area in the eastern part of Essos. Not much is known about it, since it was only briefly seen in ''A Clash of Kings'' when [[Daenerys Targaryen]] and her ''khalasar'' crossed it. The only known settlement in the region, Vaes Tolorro, is in ruins.

====Qarth====
First mentioned in ''A Game of Thrones'',{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Daenerys III, pp. 234–235}} the city of Qarth has not yet appeared on any maps in the books. However, the HBO ''Viewer's Guide'' world map and the opening titles of the TV series' second season show Qarth located at a strait between the Summer Sea and the Jade Sea in the south-east of Essos.<ref group=S name=hbo_viewersguide_map/> Upon Daenerys' first visit to Qarth in ''A Clash of Kings'', the warlock Pyat Pree describes his city as the center of the world and as a gateway of commerce and culture between the east and west, and the north and south. The reader learns through Daenerys's eyes that the city is surrounded by three graded walls of thirty to fifty feet in height, respectively engraved with portraits of animals, war, and lovemaking. The city's buildings are of many colors, including rose, violet, and [[umber]]. Slender towers rise throughout the city, fountains adorn every square, and thousands of colored birds, blooming trees and flowers fill the city.{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Daenerys II, pp. 422–426}} The TV adaptation filmed Qarth on the island of [[Lokrum]] near [[Dubrovnik]] and constructed a set at the Dubac quarry in Croatia to double for the gates of Qarth.<ref group=S name=go_hbofilmed/>

The Qartheen are described as "tall pale folk in linen and [[samite]] and tiger fur", with the women wearing gowns that leave one breast bare, while the men sport beaded silk skirts.{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Daenerys II, pp. 422–426}} Daenerys perceives them as "nothing if not polite".{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Daenerys III, pp. 575–577}} Slaves serve their needs.{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Daenerys II, pp. 422–426}} The Pureborn, descendants of the city's ancient kings and queens, govern Qarth and also command the city's defenses.{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Daenerys III, pp. 575–577}} Three principal merchant groups battle amongst themselves and against the Pureborn for dominance of the city: the Thirteen, the Ancient Guild of Spicers, and the Tourmaline Brotherhood.{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Daenerys III, pp. 575–577}} Qarth's warlocks, whose lips are turned blue from a potion called "the shade of the evening", are said to brood over these factions; they are still feared although their power and prestige have waned over the years.{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Daenerys II, pp. 422–426}}{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Daenerys III, pp. 575–577}} Qarth is also home to the Sorrowful Men, a guild of assassins named so for whispering "I am so sorry," before killing their victims.{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Daenerys III, pp. 575–577}} Daenerys leaves Qarth again at the end of ''A Clash of Kings''.{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Daenerys V, p. 884}}

=== Unvisited lands {{anchor|Other lands|Unvisited lands}} ===
{{for|Valyria|#Essos{{!}}§ World and fictional history §§ Essos}}

====Asshai and the Shadow Lands {{anchor|Asshai|The Shadow Lands|Asshai and the Shadow Lands}}====
Asshai and the Shadow Lands are mysterious locations in the ''Ice and Fire'' world. They are first mentioned in ''A Game of Thrones''{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Daenerys II, pp. 102–104}} and were first mapped in ''The Lands of Ice and Fire'', lying on the far east of the known world. Martin is unsure if the books will ever take the readers to Asshai, but said that readers may learn more through the POV character Melisandre (who originates from Asshai{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Prologue, pp. 20–21}}) or through the memories and mentions of other characters.<ref group=S name=indigo_iv1/> Jorah Mormont describes Asshai as a port city far to the south of the Dothraki Sea, at the end of the known world.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Daenerys VIII, pp. 707, 710}} Asshai exports such goods as black [[amethyst]]s,{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Sansa V, p. 833}} amber, and [[obsidian|dragonglass]].{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Daenerys III, pp. 575–577}} At another time, Jorah Mormont tells Daenerys of great kingdoms to the east of the Red Waste, and lists Asshai by the Shadow as one of the cities full of wonders there.{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Daenerys I, p. 192}} According to Martin, all ship travels between Westeros and Asshai go via the Summer Sea and the Jade Sea through the straits at Qarth, and that the common folk still believe the world to be flat.<ref group=S name=ssm_asshaitrade/> However, according to Martin, "Asshai is not nearly important to trade as Yi Ti, and the rich port cities of Yi Ti (and Leng) and more easily reached via Qarth."<ref group=S name=grrm_blog121031/> Quaithe of the Shadow prophesies Daenerys in Qarth that "To go north, you must journey south. To reach the west, you must go east [...] and to touch the light you must pass beneath the shadow." When Daenerys interprets this to mean she must go to Asshai, Quaithe says she would find the truth there.{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Daenerys III, p. 583}}

There are many tales about the Shadow Lands, though how much truth they hold is unclear. The Dothraki believe that ghost grass covers the Shadow Lands, with stalks that glow in the dark and grow taller than a man on horseback.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Daenerys III, p. 226}} Daenerys heard that "spellsingers, warlocks, and aeromancers practiced their arts openly in Asshai, while shadowbinders and bloodmages worked terrible sorceries in the black of night".{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Daenerys III, pp. 234–235}} There are also Westerosi maesters in Asshai.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Daenerys VII, p. 672}} The mages of Asshai teach others their healing powers,{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Daenerys VII, p. 672}} but also their spells requiring blood sacrifice.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Daenerys VIII, pp. 707, 710}} Ancient books of Asshai record the Azor Ahai prophecy followed by members of the [[R'hllor]] faith.{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Davos I, pp. 148, 150}} Daenerys heard that dragons themselves originated from the Shadow Lands beyond Asshai and the islands of the Jade Sea, and they possibly still live there.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Daenerys III, pp. 234–235}} Bran dreams of flying Dragons in Asshai.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Bran III, p. 163}} The petrified dragon eggs Illyrio gives to Daenerys are said to come from the Shadow Lands.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Daenerys II, p. 104}} The "dour and frightening" Shadow Men cover their bodies in tattoos and wear lacquered wooden masks,{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Daenerys VI, p. 587}} and the appearance of the Asshai'i is described as dark and solemn.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Daenerys VI, p. 587}} The Dothraki believe the Asshai'i to be the spawn of shadows.{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Daenerys III, p. 583}} The Asshai'i have a language of their own.{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Davos I, pp. 148, 150}}

====Ibben====
Ibben is a collection of islands north of Essos in the Bay of Whales. The largest of these islands is Ib, which contains the cities Port of Ibben and Ib Nor. Until the Doom of Valyria, Ibben was ruled by a God-King. Now power is held by the Shadow Council, which is made up of nobles, priests, and wealthy guildsmen. Ibben is first mentioned in ''A Game of Thrones'', where Tyrion talks of rumors that mammoths "roam the cold wastes beyond the Port of Ibben".{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Tyrion II, p. 122}} In 2002, Martin said the narrative would "probably not" take readers to Ibben, which he described as a "cold, mountainous, [[Iceland]]-sized island" (i.e. 103,000 km², 40,000 sq mi) in the Shivering Sea, with the Port of Ibben as the major city; some Ibbenese also live on smaller islands nearby or in colonies on Essos.<ref group=S name=ssm_ibbenarmor/> Ibben is unmapped in the books as of ''A Dance with Dragons'', but similar to Martin's descriptions,<ref group=S name=ssm_ibbenarmor/> the HBO ''Viewer's Guide'' world map gives the island's location as to the north-east of Essos.<ref group=S name=hbo_viewersguide_map/> Martin said that due to a large [[whale]] population in the Shivering sea, many of the Ibbenses were [[whaler]]s.<ref group=S name=ssm_ibbenarmor/> The Ibbenses are known to chew whale blubber in order to maintain their metabolism in the cold climate. Several characters see Ibbenese whalers and [[Cog (ship)|cogs]] at the ports of King's Landing,{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Catelyn IV, p. 169}} Braavos,{{sfn|''A Feast for Crows''|loc=Cat of the Canals, pp. 722–728}} Maidenpool,{{sfn|''A Feast for Crows''|loc=Brienne V, p. 521}} Eastwatch-by-the-Sea,{{sfn|''A Dance with Dragons''|loc=Jon IX, p. 585}} White Harbour, and the Iron Islands.{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Theon I, pp. 172–173}} The novels describe the people of Ibben as squat and hairy; Arya even meets an Ibbenese woman with a mustache.{{sfn|''A Feast for Crows''|loc=Cat of the Canals, pp. 722–728}} It is implied the people may be Neanderthals. Tyrion and Varys meet foul-smelling Ibbenese,{{Sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Jaime III, p. 296}}{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Tyrion VII, p. 452}} who "were as fond of axes as they were of each other".{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Tyrion VII, p. 452}} Arya sees "a dark brutal axeman from Ib" in her dreams.{{sfn|''A Storm of Swords''|loc=Arya I, p. 51}} The Ibbenese are said to speak with low, raspy voices and to have their own language.{{sfn|''A Feast for Crows''|loc=Prologue, p. 11}}{{sfn|''A Feast for Crows''|loc=Cat of the Canals, pp. 722–728}}

====Yi Ti ====
The novels repeatedly describe Yi Ti as an empire with cities full of wonder, lying in the far east.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Daenerys X, p. 799}}{{sfn|''A Clash of Kings''|loc=Daenerys I, p. 192}} As of ''A Dance with Dragons'', Yi Ti has not appeared on any maps in the books, but Martin specified that "Yi Ti is to the south east of Qarth, generally, across the Jade Sea."<ref group=S name=ssm_yiti/> The empire is first mentioned in ''A Game of Thrones'', talking of rumors that "basilisks infested the jungles of Yi Ti".{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Daenerys III, pp. 234–235}} Sailor stories presented in ''A Feast for Crows'' mention that a grey plague has hit Yi Ti.{{sfn|''A Feast for Crows''|loc=The Queenmaker, pp. 425–426}} The god of the people of Yi Ti is called the Lion of Night.{{sfn|''A Feast for Crows''|loc=Cat of the Canals, pp. 722–728}} Daenerys sees people of Yi Ti as bright-eyed men in monkey-tail hats in the markets of Vaes Dothrak.{{sfn|''A Game of Thrones''|loc=Daenerys VI, p. 587}} Yi Ti has more cities than any other land in the known world, and according to Lomas Longstrider they are much larger and more splendid than cities in the west. According to Colloquo Votar there are three older cities buried beneath every YiTish city. The capital of the Golden Empire of Yi Ti is Yin, along the Jade Sea. Martin is unsure "to what extent those peoples [like of Yi Ti] will ever enter this present story, however... their lands are very far away."<ref group=S name=grrm_blog120203/>

====Plains of Jogos Nhai====
North of Yi Ti, the Plains of Jogos Nhai are windswept, with rolling hills. They are dominated by a race of mounted warriors called the Jogos Nhai. The Jogos Nhai live in [[yurt]]s and tents, and are a nomadic people. They are short, squat, and have large heads and small faces. Men and women both have pointed skulls, a result of their custom of [[Artificial cranial deformation|binding the heads of newborns]]. They also ride [[Zebroid|zorses]], a striped mount that can withstand much more than the average horse. The Jogos Nhai do not fight among themselves and live in small clans bound by blood. They live in a state of perpetual war with outsiders and had been raiding many YiTish cities and have reduced around a hundred towns to ruin. Each tribe is commanded by a ''jhat'', or war chief, and a moonsinger, who is a priestess, healer, and judge. Moonsingers are generally female, and ''jhats'' are mostly male. (Paraphrased from ''[[The World of Ice & Fire|The World of Ice and Fire]])''