Ebou Dar

From A Wheel of Time Wiki

Ebou Dar is the capital city of Altara, located on the southern coast, straddling the River Eldar. The city is built around a large bay, with the river dividing it in two. One side contains the palaces, homes and shops of the upper and middle classes, the other, known as Rahad, is home of the lower classes in the Ebou Dar society.

[edit] The Main City

Ebou Dar is a beautiful city with pale white buildings and plenty of canals. Transportation is easy on the passenger canal boats as well as on the broad streets and bridges. Large buildings and palaces are scattered throughout the city, the palaces richly decorated with tall spires or domes in the shapes of turnips or pears, emblazoned with bands of crimson, blue and gold. The city is surrounded by a very thick white wall, which has three main gates, the Moldaine Gate, the Three Towers Gate and the Dal Eira Gate, as well as several minor ones. Throughout the city paved squares are very common, often contining a fountain bubbling water, a large statue, or both. Out of these squares, the Mol Hara square is by far the largest. At its center stands a statue of a woman with one arm raised as to point toward the sea. One entire side of the Mol Hara square is dominated by the gleaming white Tarasin palace, home of the current ruler of Altara.

[edit] The Rahad

On the other side of the River Eldar lies Rahad, the area of Ebou Dar where the less fortunate in life make their living. The streets in Rahad are often narrow alleys, with buildings standing as high as five or six stories above the ground. The streets are filled with the refuse of the inhabitants. Rahad is no doubt a very dangerous place. Not only are duels very frequent, some adversaries do not even bother with the formalities and simply stab their victims in the back.