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The Enedhwaith (or Central Wilderness) was shared by the North and South Kingdoms, but was never settled by Númenóreans owing to the hostility of the Dunlendings, except in the fortified town and haven about the great bridge over the Greyflood at Tharbad.
- The Peoples of Middle Earth, Of Dwarves and Men
Located on the southern border of Eriador, Tharbad was the link between the sister kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor. Beginning as a humble Númenórean harbor and fort, it steadily grew into a major trade hub throughout the Second and the first half of the Third Age. Surviving the fall of the Kingdom of Arnor, Tharbad went into a slow decline, being largely depopulated by the Great Plague and multiple floods.
In the city’s centre lie the remains of the Bridge of Tharbad, once part of the Great Road connecting the two sister kingdoms’ capitals of Fornost Erain and Osgiliath. The bridge is adjourned by forts on either side of the river, once being jointly garrisoned by Arnor and Gondor.
The remains of the city’s large harbour, amphitheatre, and circus are signs of its former splendor. The city’s south side also features the remains of roundhouses, leftovers of the Dunlendings that once dwelled in the ruins of the city.
