King's Landing

* Appearance
* Location

"*Growing up at Winterfell, all I ever wanted was to escape, to come here, to the capital. To see the southern knights and their painted armor, and King's Landing after dark. All the candles burning in all those windows...*"
―Sansa Stark
**King's Landing** is the capital and largest city of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. It is located on the eastern coast of the continent at the heart of the Crownlands region, and straddles the mouth of the Blackwater Rush, where the river flows out into Blackwater Bay. It is the seat of House Baratheon of King's Landing, who rules the realm from the Iron Throne in the Red Keep.

## History

### Founding

The city is named for it's founder, King Aegon I Targaryen, who after landing at the location from Dragonstone, built a small wooden fort atop the tallest hill, named the Aegonfort is his honour, which served as his base of operations for his conquest of the entire continent.

### Targaryen era

The Aegonfort was eventually transformed into the Red Keep, containing the Iron Throne. The hill on which it sat was named Aegon's High Hill. The two other hills of the capital were named for Aegon's sister-wives; Rhaenys's Hill and Visenya's Hill, which would come to be topped with the Dragonpit and Great Sept of Baelor respectively.

By the time of Robert's Rebellion, the city had grown in population to 500,000 people, eclipsing Oldtown as the largest city on the continent. Despite suffering occasional attacks, the city remained in the hands of House Targaryen for close to three centuries.

### Robert's Rebellion

In the waning days of Robert's Rebellion, the city was sacked by Tywin Lannister and turned over to Robert Baratheon as a gesture of fealty, despite the efforts of the Mad King to raze the city prior to it's fall.

### War of the Five Kings

During the War of the Five Kings, the city served as the seat of King Joffrey Baratheon, and then his brother, King Tommen Baratheon. During the war, the city was unsuccessfully attacked by their uncle, Stannis Baratheon. After the destruction of the Great Sept of Baelor and the suicide of King Tommen, Cersei Lannister seized the Iron Throne for herself.

### Great War

During the Great War, Cersei was killed during the Siege of King's Landing, and Daenerys Targaryen took the city. Daenerys briefly held power, but ultimately perished during the ensuing Battle of King's Landing against the White Walkers, along with over four fifths of the city's population.

### Baratheon era

During the reigns of King Gendry Baratheon and his son, Robert II Baratheon, the city was significantly rebuilt and restructured.

The slums of Flea Bottom were demolished and a new and improved system of housing and plumbing was constructed across the city, greatly improving the quality of life for the average smallfolk. Consequently, over the following century and a half, the population of King's Landing not only fully recovered but further quadrupled to over two million people. Although by the Black Succession crisis, the city was again beginning to suffer from issues of overpopulation and urban squalor.

## See also

* King's Landing on Wiki of Westeros
* King's Landing on A Wiki of Ice and Fire