What are the Nine Free Cities?

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, the nine Free Cities occupy a large portion of western Essos. From north to south, they are Braavos, Lorath, Norvos, Qohor, Pentos, Myr, Tyrosh, Lys, and Volantis.

What are the Free Cities based on?

It’s sort of a blend between Venice, for its maritime inclinations, and Florence, which was historically famed for its banking reputation. We’ve seen how they’ve affected things thus far, but I wonder to what extent the Free Cities may influence the conclusion of the story in the final two books.

Why is Braavos a free city?

They are called Free Cities because they are city-states in their own right, i.e. not subservient to any higher authority. So Braavos, despite being “only” a city, is as much a functional nation as the Seven Kingdoms. Each city has its own government, currency, armed forces, etc.

Where is Essos located?

Westeros
Essos is an immense landmass located to the east of Westeros, extending into the far east of the known world. The Free Cities are located on its north-western shores, with the Dothraki sea located deep in the continental interior and the cities of Slaver’s Bay on the south coast.

How far east does Essos go?

Essos is the largest of the four known continents in the world. It lies east of Westeros and north of Sothoryos and Ulthos, stretching from the Shivering Sea in the north to the Summer Sea in the south, and from the narrow sea in the west to the lands surrounding the Jade Sea in the east, if not farther.

What is Essos based?

Contrary, the surrounding mainland of modern day Essos could be Greece and Europe, with the Greek archipelago (maybe even mirrored) translating to the destroyed Valyrian archipelago.

Is Braavos Essos?

Braavos is located at the northwestern-most point of the continent of Essos, where the Narrow Sea to the west meets the Shivering Sea to the north. The city is spread across hundreds of tiny islands in the lagoon, connected by stone bridges and a vast network of canals.