Mordor

The realm of Mordor is the domain of the dark lord Sauron.

Summary

Very little is known of Mordor’s history before Sauron's arrival in SA 1000. Fearful of the growing Númenórean presence in Middle-earth, he chose this region for its defensibility, and for the vast potential he saw in Orodruin (believed to be a remnant of Morgoth’s destructive work in the early days of Arda). Sauron began building Barad-dûr at this time, and in SA 1600, assisted by the power of the newly-forged One Ring, the Dark Tower was completed.

In SA 3320, with the fall of Númenor, the sons of Elendil came to create the Kingdom of Gondor. Osgiliath was founded as the capital, guarded by the sister fortresses of Minas Ithil and Minas Anor. Their territory continued to expand until the War of the Last Alliance. Minas Ithil fell to Sauron’s forces in SA 3429, though it would later be recovered by the Gondorians. Sauron was defeated in 3441 when Isildur cut the ring from his hand, and the forces of Mordor were scattered. The Dark Tower was razed, though its foundations, tied to the power of the Ring, remained. Gondor set a watch on the land of Mordor, building towers at the passes of Cirith Ungol and Cirith Gorgor for that purpose. This long period of vigilance came to an end in TA 1640, when, weakened by conflicts elsewhere and by the Great Plague, Gondor withdrew its forces. The land of Mordor was left totally unguarded.

Shortly thereafter, the Nazgûl returned to Mordor, once again besieging Minas Ithil. In TA 2002, they captured the city along with its Palantír. They began gathering forces of evil there while Sauron controlled them from afar. When the White Council drove him from Dol Guldur in 2941, he feigned defeat but returned to Mordor in secret. Ten years later Sauron declared himself openly as Lord of Mordor; Barad-dûr was rebuilt, and Mount Doom began to erupt again.

Regions

• Gorgoroth
• Nurn
• Southern Mirkwood

Settlements

• Barad-dûr, the Dark Tower of Sauron
• Minas Morgul (originally Minas Ithil), the city of the Ringwraiths
• Dol Guldur, the secondary fortress of Sauron in Mirkwood
• Udûn
• Durthang
• Cirith Ungol