Location in The Oz Series

City of Emeralds

Also known as the City of Emeralds, the wonderful City, the City of Oz, your lovely City, the gorgeous Emerald City, the magnificent Emerald City, her royal city, a beautiful emerald-green city.

The city, in the center of the Land of Oz, built by the humbug Wizard and long the seat of his rule; after Oz departs by balloon it is left to be ruled by the Scarecrow, while its people grieve the loss of the Wonderful Wizard.

Appears in 46 chapters, first in chapter 2, last in chapter 98.

This encyclopedia covers chapters 1 to 100 of the story and shows the world as it stands at chapter 100, so it contains spoilers up to that point. To read it spoiler free, one chapter at a time, open the interactive codex.

What the story establishes

Acoustics and tone	Announced from afar by a beautiful green glow in the sky; at the gate, a silvery tinkle sounds within when the bell is pushed, and the tone is one of dazzling, almost blinding brilliance — glittering emeralds and a glare so bright that spectacles must be worn night and day.
Appearance	Appears to dazzle with green marble and emeralds, but this emerald splendor is an effect of the mandatory green spectacles rather than real emeralds; through the tinted glass everything simply looks green, though the city is truly rich in jewels and precious metals and beautiful in its own right. (as of ch. 15)
Controlled by	Ruled by Ozma of Oz, the rightful Ruler of the Land of Oz, who regained her father's throne; Jinjur's usurpation is long past history. (as of ch. 55)
Physical constraints	Reached only by a long journey on foot along the road of yellow brick; enclosed by a high, thick green wall entered through a big emerald-studded gate opened by the Guardian of the Gates. The brightness and glory of the City would blind anyone without green spectacles, so all who enter or live there must wear spectacles locked on night and day; the Guardian of the Gates holds the only key that unlocks them.

Relationships

rules ← Ozma ch. 48
Ozma accedes to the throne of her royal ancestors and reigns as the loveliest Queen the Emerald City has ever known, governing wisely and justly with Glinda's counsel.
located in ← underground_traveling_party ch. 86
The surface-world fellowship's downward-and-onward journey ends at the Emerald City, where Ozma proclaims a citywide holiday in the visitors' honor and parades them through the streets.
contains ← Land of Oz ch. 10
The Emerald City lies within the Land of Oz: as the travelers pass through the green country, Dorothy recognizes they are in the Land of Oz and drawing near the Emerald City.
contains → Palace of Oz ch. 10
The Palace of Oz, with its great Throne Room where the Wizard sits day after day, stands within the Emerald City; the Guardian leads visitors from the city gate to it.
located in ← Imperial Cornet Band of Oz ch. 86
The Imperial Cornet Band of Oz marches through the streets of the Emerald City, heading Ozma's grand procession.
located in ← Jellia Jamb ch. 31
Once one of the green people living in the Emerald City, Jellia is led out of the city gates disguised as Mombi and taken before Glinda; exposed and restored, she is granted Glinda's protection, so she is no longer resident in the city.
located in ← road of yellow brick ch. 2
The road of yellow brick leads all the way to the City of Emeralds and terminates directly at the City's big emerald-studded gate, set in the high, thick, bright-green wall that surrounds the City — so travelers following the road arrive straight at the gate and cannot miss the way.
located in ← Guardian of the Gates ch. 10
The Guardian is stationed at the Emerald City's gate, standing in the high arched emerald-walled entrance room just inside the big gate at the end of the yellow brick road.
located in → Land of Oz ch. 2
The City of Emeralds lies at the exact center of the Land of Oz.
conquers ← General Jinjur (ended) ch. 32
Leading her army through the surrendered gate, Jinjur captures the undefended Emerald City without a drop of blood being spilled.
conquers ← Glinda (ended) ch. 48
Glinda marches her army on the Emerald City; when the barred green-marble walls halt the advance, the party flies the Gump over them, seizes Jinjur in her courtyard, and takes the city for Ozma.
located in ← Dorothy (ended) ch. 68–69
Dorothy enters the Emerald City, passing through the emerald-studded gate and following the Guardian into its streets after being fitted with the locked green spectacles.
located in ← Dorothy's Traveling Party (ended) ch. 10–11
After being fitted with the locked green spectacles, the whole party follows the Guardian through the inner gate into the streets of the Emerald City.
rules ← General Jinjur (ended) ch. 39–48
Jinjur reigns as self-proclaimed Queen of the Emerald City, enthroned in the palace with the Scarecrow's crown and sceptre and her Army in control of the city.
creates ← Oz (ended) ch. 15
To amuse himself and keep the people busy, Oz ordered the frightened people to build the City and named it the Emerald City to fit its green look.
guards ← Guardian of the Gates (ended) ch. 10–32
The little green man serves as the standing Guardian of the Gates of the Emerald City, admitting visitors through the emerald-studded gate, fitting them with the required locked spectacles, and escorting them within.
creates ← Oz (ended) ch. 83
The Wizard recalls that he built the Emerald City himself, along with its palace, during his former rule of Oz.
located in ← Army of Revolt (ended) ch. 32–48
The victorious Army of Revolt floods through the surrendered gate into the Emerald City.
located in ← Cowardly Lion (ended) ch. 10–12
The Cowardly Lion enters the Emerald City with the party, following the Guardian through the inner gate into the city's streets.
rules ← Oz (ended) ch. 2–17
Oz rules the Emerald City not by any real magic but by imposture: blown here long ago as a runaway balloonist and taken for a great Wizard, he had the people build the City and Palace, imposed locked green spectacles so his ordinary city would seem made of emeralds, and has governed as an unseen, feared recluse ever since. He has been good to the people and they like him, but by his own confession he is a humbug with 'no magical powers at all' — his authority resting entirely on the fiction that he is the Great and Terrible Oz.
located in ← Saw-Horse (ended) ch. 30–33
The Saw-Horse carries Jack through the gate into the Emerald City's main street, then is led around to the rear of the royal palace by a servant.
located in ← Scarecrow (ended) ch. 10–12
The Scarecrow enters the Emerald City with the party, following the Guardian through the inner gate into the city's streets.
located in ← Tin Woodman (ended) ch. 10–12
The Tin Woodman enters the Emerald City with the party, following the Guardian through the inner gate into the city's streets.
located in ← Toto (ended) ch. 10–12
Toto, fitted with his own locked spectacles, enters the Emerald City with the rest of the party as the Guardian leads them through the gate into its streets.
located in ← Oz (ended) ch. 2–10
Oz the Great Wizard lives in the City of Emeralds.
rules ← Scarecrow (ended) ch. 17–32
The Scarecrow reigns as His Majesty over the Emerald City, appointed by the departed Oz; this chapter shows him actively ruling from the royal palace — at leisure and greatly bored, he orders a strange visitor shown at once into his throne room, where he sits upon his glittering throne.
communicates with ← Guardian of the Gates (ended) ch. 15
The Guardian of the Gates spreads word through the Emerald City's people that Dorothy has melted the Wicked Witch of the West, drawing a great crowd.
communicates with ← Tin Woodman (ended) ch. 13
The Tin Woodman joins the party's resolution to return to the Emerald City, declaring that there at last he shall get his heart from Oz.
located in ← Tip (ended) ch. 32–39
Following the Army of Revolt, Tip reaches the green granite walls and passes into the captured Emerald City.

From the text

“It is exactly in the center of the country, and is ruled by Oz, the Great Wizard I told you of.”Chapter 2

Then the big gate swung slowly open, and they all passed through and found themselves in a high arched room, the walls of which glistened with countless emeralds.Chapter 10

In front of them, and at the end of the road of yellow brick, was a big gate, all studded with emeralds that glittered so in the sun that even the painted eyes of the Scarecrow were dazzled by their brilliancy.Chapter 10

The streets were lined with beautiful houses all built of green marble and studded everywhere with sparkling emeralds. They walked over a pavement of the same green marble, and where the blocks were joined together were rows of emeralds, set closely, and glittering in the brightness of the sun.Chapter 11

“The Emerald City was built a great many years ago, for I was a young man when the balloon brought me here ... But my people have worn green glasses on their eyes so long that most of them think it really is an Emerald City.”Chapter 15

In this way was the Emerald City captured without a drop of blood being spilled.Chapter 32

See City of Emeralds chapter by chapter in the interactive codex →

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