We’ve seen some pretty amazing things done through crowdfunding. Heck, Alabama is even trying to use it to solve their debt crisis, but this is the first time that we’ve ever seen it used to try and raise the funds to build a mythical city.

That’s right, there’s a group of architects and engineers, led by Jonathan Wilson, who want to build a real life replica of the Lord of the Rings city: Minas Tirith. The cost of the project? Just a scant $3 Billion.

Here are some of the highlights from their Indigogo campaign.

– We are an ambitious team of architects and structural engineers who are passionate about creating a beautiful, inspirational and fully-functioning replica of Peter Jackson’s depiction of Minas Tirith, as seen in his Lord of the Rings films.
– We all share a love of Tolkien’s work, and a desire to challenge the common perception of community and architecture. We believe that, in realising Minas Tirith, we can create not only the most remarkable tourist attraction on the planet, but also a wonderfully unique place to live and work.
We aim to create both residential and commercial properties, allowing for sustainable growth and a high quality of life.
– Residential properties will be categorised by tier, quality and size. Tiers vary from 1-5, quality varies from 2-5 stars, with the higher star denoting higher quality, and size varies from 1-4 bedrooms. A “3.4.2 property”, for instance, would be located in the 3rd tier of the city, be of a 4 star quality and have 2 bedrooms – perfect for a young family.
– Follow our twitter account @realiseminas for regular updates on the project.
Our goal is to raise £1.85bn within 60 days. We’re fully aware of the scale of our ambition, but we hope you realise just how special this project could be.

as to how far along they are on their mission? Sadly, after 12 days, they’ve raised just over $2,500. That’s not a lot of fellowship…

Source: Inhabitat