Great Hall

The Great Hall is a location in the first and second seasons. It is the throne room of the Red Keep and contains the Iron Throne, the ruling seat of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. This is where the court gathers, where audiences are held, and where justice is dispensed. Behind the Iron Throne the Great Hall connects to the room where the small council meets. It is within the Red Keep of King's Landing which was built by Aegon the conqueror on the ground where he first landed with his army to begin his conquest.

The room is cavernous it is large enough to fit a thousand people and, at the end of Robert's Rebellion, Eddard Stark lead mounted troops into it. The entrance is made up of two huge bronze and wood doors. The throne sits on a raised dais climbed up to by two set of wide steps of rough black stone. The floor is made of different types of marble. Overhead is the towering vaulted ceiling, with massive arches and corinthian columns.

There is standing room for the court to gather and a gallery for small folk. At times a smaller chair can be put next to the throne for a regent, Hand of the King, or advisor, but if the the king is not present a hand or regent my sit in the throne as they speak for the King (it is not legal for anyone else to sit on the throne). In this huge room there is no other place to sit. The throne is always described as uncomfortable to sit on.

The Reign of the Targaryens
When Aegon landed in Westeros he began construction of the Red Keep. Construction lasted into the reign of Maegar I, the Cruel, (who had the workers killed to preserve it's secrets). The Iron throne was forged from 1,000 swords surrendered in the conquest. The swords were heated by the fiery breath of the greatest of dragons Balerion the Black Dread and the hammering to form them into a chair shape went on for 59 days. It was believed that the Iron throne was deliberately made to be uncomfortable by Aegon, as a king should never sit easy or rule without great care. And care needed to be taken sitting the Iron Throne, as the swords even after 300 years were still sharp. It was said that the fact that Mad King Aerys was cut so many time was a sign of his unworthiness to sit the throne.

The skulls of dragons as they died where mounted on the walls of the Great Hall with the early largest dragons placed closest to the throne. Balerion's skull was large enough for a man to ride a horse through his jaws. As time went by, the dragons died younger and didn't grow as large, so the dragon skulls as they got further out from the throne are progressively smaller. The last hatched being deformed, only the size of dogs, and dying soon after being born. As one passed the dragon skulls it was said to be unnerving with the dragons looking down on a person and their empty eye sockets following him.

The Reign of Robert Baratheon
Robert Baratheon changed the room putting his own mark on it. He had the dragon skulls removed, they now reside in the cellars under the Red Keep. The walls were covered with tapaestries of hunting scenes. The columns of the room were given a vine motif. Large standing candelabras filled with candles were placed in the room next to the columns to give light. Behind the throne there is a large stained glass window, a pastoral scene of a stag surrounded by a border of amber. He kept the Iron Throne itself, as it is a symbol of power over the Seven Kingdoms.

To see the room as it was in the reign of King Robert press this link to the YouTube video: In the Name of Robert Baratheon [here]

The Reign of Joffrey Baratheon
Joffrey Baratheon imagines himself a great military leader and wanted to return the Great Hall to the original form to give a martial impression of a conqueror. He replaces the vine motif with metal spikes and roaring flames surrounding the pillars. Behind the throne, the stained glass has been replaced with clear glass with a seven pointed star mounted over it. He removes the tapestries of hunting scenes, but he does not return the dragon skulls to the walls. Those stay in the cellars.

Season 1
It first appears in "Lord Snow" when Eddard Stark is summoned to the small council on arriving in King's Landing. He has to pass through the throne room as the small council chamber adjoins the throne room and is situated behind the throne. He meets Jaime Lannister sitting on the steps leading up to the dais and they talk about the death of Brandon and Eddard's father. Ser Jaime points to a place on the floor not far from the throne and says that was where they died. When Lord Eddard remarks that Jaime had just stood there and watched. Ser Jaime replies that there were five hundred men in the room standing and watching. It was as quiet as a tomb, except for the screams.

When Viserys Targaryen is bathing with Doreah, he talks to her about the Iron throne and how it was forged by the Balerion the Black Dread and about skulls of dragons that used to decorate the Iron Throne room. They were placed in descending order by size. His father would take him down the row and, if he could correctly name them all, Rhaegar would give him a treat. He wrongly believes that Robert the Usurper had the dragon skulls ground down to powder and scattered to the four winds.

When chasing cats under the Red Keep, Arya finds the cellars and dragon skulls that have been stored there.

The Iron Throne room is where the court gathers to hear the decree of Eddard as Hand of the King, when he pronounces that Ser Gregor Clegane has been stripped of lands and titles, because of his raids of the Riverlands. Lord Eddard as Hand of the King sits in the Iron throne, and two smaller chairs have been placed on either side of the throne for Master of Coin, Litterfinger, and Grand Maester Pycelle.

Season 2
King Joffrey Baratheon has the room redecorated to be more imposing after taking the throne. He tells Cersei that the Targaryen's had the right idea. They were conquerors and the iron throne is the throne of conquerors, and he wants to get rid of all the vines and flowers. Joffrey restores the throne to the way it used to be.

The Iron Throne room is where Sansa Stark is stripped and beated before the court in revenge for the victories of Robb Stark. Joffrey stands on the dais as he threatens to shoot her with a crossbow.

In the House of the Undying in Qarth, Daenerys has a vision of the Iron Throne room. It is in ruins, the roof has collapsed and everything is frozen in ice.

Behind the scenes
There were flash back scenes filmed with Aerys Targaryen that were removed from the final cut. Eddard has a nightmare were he imagines himself as Brandon Stark watching their father die with Aerys the Mad King seen behind him sitting the Iron Throne and watching.

Gallery 1
Before Joffrey redecorated

Gallery 2
After Joffrey redecorated