Alqualondë

Alqualondë, also known as the Haven of the Swans or simply the Haven, was the chief city of the Falmari Elves on the shores of Aman.
== Description ==
thumb|left|200px|The location of Alqualondë
This city was north and east of Tirion, between the Calacirya and Araman in northern Eldamar.The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter V: "Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië"
It was built in a natural harbor made of rock on the eastern shores of Aman. Other than the great harbor it also housed the Tower of Olwë. The city was decorated with pearls which the Teleri found in the seas, and jewels which they obtained from the Ñoldor. Until the Kinslaying, the city was one of the most peaceful and tranquil places in all of Aman- truly synonymous with elven bliss. It was always alive with song from the fair voices of the Teleri, and after Valinor became silent with the death of the Two Trees, the only good sounds that could still be heard were coming from this fair coastal haven.The Atlas of Middle-earth, The First Age, The Elder Days, "The Flight of the Ñoldor"
The city was walled, and the entrance to the harbor had an arch of "living stone".The Atlas of Middle-earth, The First Age, The Elder Days, "Valinor"
== History ==
The Teleri under Olwë crossed the Sea and initially settled on Tol Eressëa. However, after being drawn by the light, the Teleri abandoned Eressëa. In YT 1161, the construction of Alqualondë began by the Teleri, and the Ñoldor under Finwë assisted them, strengthening their friendship.
In YT 1495, Fëanor, son of Finwë, rebelled against the Valar and led his household into exile. Accompanied by the the House of Fingolfin and House of Finarfin, they came upon Alqualondë, and Fëanor demanded the swan-ships of the Falmari. Olwë refused, thus the Kinslaying at Alqualondë commenced, and Fëanor and his seven sons stole the ships and killed many of the Falmari.The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter IX: "Of the Flight of the Ñoldor"
In the last years of the First Age, Earendil and Elwing arrived in the Havens, and Elwing was befriended by the Teleri who listened to her tales of griefs in Beleriand.The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter XXIV: "Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath"
== Etymology ==
Alqualondë means "Haven of the Swans"The Silmarillion, Index of Names from the Quenya words alqua ("swan") and londë ("land-locked haven").The Silmarillion, Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin names It should be pronounced al-quah-LON-day.
== Earlier versions of the legendarium ==
The first mentions in J.R.R. Tolkien's writings of Alqaluntë and the Kinslaying are given in the seventh chapter of The Book of Lost Tales Part One. 
In other texts, the year of the founding of Alqualondë was written as Valian Year 2111The History of Middle-earth, Vol. V: The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Two: "Valinor and Middle-earth before The Lord of the Rings", which was likely changed, as the Teleri ultimately are said to arrive during the Years of the Trees. Elsewhere, it is told that Arakáno, youngest son of Fingolfin, died in the first Kinslaying. This was later corrected by Christopher Tolkien, who made it instead that Arakáno died in the Battle of the Lammoth.The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth, chapter XI: "The Shibboleth of Fëanor", Notes
==Translations==
Foreign Language 	Translated name
Arabic 	الكوالوندي
Armenian 	Ալկվալոնդե
Belarusian Cyrillic	Альквалондэ
Bengali 	আলকুলদে
Bulgarian Cyrillic 	Алкуалонде
Chinese (Hong Kong)	澳闊隆迪
Danish 	Alqualondë (Svanehavnen)
Georgian 	ალქუალონდე
Greek 	Άλκουαλόντε
Gujarati 	આલ્કલોંડ
Hebrew 	אלקולונדה
Hindi 	अल्क़ुअलोन्द्ऐ
Hungarian 	Hattyúk Kikötője
Japanese 	アルクァロンデ
Kannada 	ಆಲ್ಕಲಾಂಡ್
Kazakh 	Алқұалонде (Cyrillic) Alqualonde (Latin)
Korean 	알쿠알론데
Kyrgyz Cyrillic 	Алqуалондэ
Macedonian Cyrillic	Алqуалонде
Marathi 	आल्क्लॉंड
Mongolian Cyrillic 	Алqуалондэ
Nepalese 	आल्क़ुअलोन्दे
Persian 	آلکوالونده
Punjabi 	ਅਲਕਲੋਂਡ
Russian 	Альквалондэ
Sinhalese 	ඇල්කලෝන්ඩ්
Serbian 	Алквалонде (Cyrillic) Alkvalonde (Latin)
Tajik Cyrillic 	Алқуалонде
Tamil 	அழகுஅலண்டே
Telugu 	అలుక్కుల్లోనుండి
Thai 	อัลควาลอนเด
Ukrainian Cyrillic 	Альквалонде
Urdu 	القولوندی
Yiddish 	אַלקוואַלאָנדע
==References==
Category:Aman
Category:Harbours and ports
ca:Alqualondë
de:Alqualonde
es:Alqualondë
fr:Alqualondë
it:Alqualondë
pl:Alqualondë
ru:Алквалондэ
tr:Alqualondë
Category:Quenya names & words