The Capitol



The Capitol (also known as the Citadel) was the home of the Time Lords on Gallifrey. (DW: The Deadly Assassin)

The Capitol contained the Panopticon and, buried far beneath it, the Eye of Harmony. Underneath the Capitol, there were ducts and serviceways dating from the Old Time. (DW: The Deadly Assassin) By the time of the Doctor, these were still used by those who worshipped shrines dedicated to the cult of "Rassilon the Vampire". (MA: Goth Opera)

The High Council resided in the Capitol and there was a transmat system that linked the Council's room to the Death Zone. Other Time Lord buildings on Gallifrey included the Time Lord Academy. (DW: The Five Doctors, The Sound of Drums)

During the Last Great Time War The Citadel was badly damaged by Dalek Saucers even though the Capitol was protected by a system of dual-turrets that shot down the saucers and the crashed saucers remained on the surface next to the citadel. (DW: The End of Time)

Behind the scenes
The Capitol, if it is intended to be the same building, has varied greatly in appearance over the years. In its first appearance in The Deadly Assassin, the Capitol seemed to be underground, built into the rock. It was very dark and filled with a stagnant green glow.

In its next appearance, The Invasion of Time, the Capitol had changed drastically; it was now much brighter and less spartan. Gone was the pseudo-Gothic ambience of The Deadly Assassin - the Capitol now appeared similar to many other "plastic corridor" planets in Doctor Who.

This general look remained throughout the classic series: Arc of Infinity reduced the sense of scale, while The Five Doctors made everything slightly glossier.

Unrestrained by budget, spin-off novels, notably The Infinity Doctors, greatly expanded the Capitol. In this book, the city is huge, with the hourglass-shaped Citadel being the building at the centre. The citizens of Gallifrey travel round the city in aircars, and the entire Capitol is shielded from the outside world by an opaque dome.

In the revived series, starting with The Sound of Drums, the Citadel is depicted similarly to in the novels, although it is smaller and the dome is now transparent. The centre of the Citadel resembles a TARDIS console and time rotor, although this may be unintentional. The End of Time showed the interior of the Citadel; expansive but minimalist spaces with metal walkways, a darkened conference room, and a huge council chamber with Time Lords standing on suspended platorms.