Narrow Sea

"Even a million Dothraki are no threat to the realm, as long as they remain on the other side of the Narrow Sea."

―Eddard Stark to King Robert Baratheon

The Narrow Sea separates the continents of Westeros and Essos.

The Narrow Sea is the sea that lies to the east of Westeros. It separates Westeros from the larger continent of Essos to the east. The sea is relatively narrow passing east to west between the continents and easy to cross, hence its name. However, while it is narrow enough to allow commercial shipping and cultural transmission to pass between the two continents, it is large enough to make large-scale invasions and military incursions between the Seven Kingdoms and the Free Cities difficult.

Map showing the continents of Westeros and Essos, separated by the Narrow Sea.

Geography

The Narrow Sea runs from roughly just east of the Vale to just north-east of Dorne. In the north it opens out into the circumpolar ocean known as the Shivering Sea (which separates Essos from the northern icecap), while in the south it is divided from the larger Summer Sea by the island-chain known as the Stepstones. The Stepstone island chain is itself the remnant of a land bridge known as the Arm of Dorne that once crossed the Narrow Sea and linked Westeros with Essos, but which was destroyed 12,000 years ago. The Westerosi cities of White Harbor, Gulltown, and King's Landing lie on its western shores, and the Free Cities of Braavos, Pentos, Tyrosh, and Myr lie on its eastern shores.

Quotes

"It won't be long now. Soon you will cross the Narrow Sea and take back your father's throne."

―Illyrio Mopatis to Viserys Targaryen

Image Gallery

Tyrion and Varys look east across the Narrow Sea from King's Landing, in Westeros.

The exiled Targaryens look west across the Narrow Sea from the Free City of Pentos, in Essos.

In the books

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, the narrow sea is a body of water separating Westeros from Essos. The lands bordering it, such as King's Landing or Pentos, have a warm Mediterranean climate in the south, but more temperate in north. A slight change is that King's Landing in the books has a temperate climate (comparable to Paris or London), while in the TV series it is depicted as having a Mediterranean climate (with scenes filmed in Malta and Croatia). This change was made to emphasize how much more wealthy and abundant King's Landing is than Winterfell. In the books, only the southern portions of the narrow sea, such as around Dorne and the Stepstones, have a Mediterranean climate.

Braavos has the largest and most powerful navy on the narrow sea.

See also

• Narrow Sea on A Wiki of Ice and Fire