— Ch. 1 · Ash Mountains And Shadowed Ridges —
Mordor.
~6 min read · Ch. 1 of 7
The Ered Lithui, known as the Ash Mountains, form a northern wall around Mordor. These ranges stretch for hundreds of miles to block any invasion from the north. To the west and south, the Ephel Dúath rise up like a fence of shadow. This second mountain range protects the land on three sides while keeping those inside trapped within its borders. The total area covers roughly 100,000 square miles of desolate terrain.
A narrow pass called Cirith Gorgor leads into the enclosed plain of Udûn in the northwest corner. Sauron constructed the Black Gate across this passage to seal off the entrance. Two towers guard the outer side of the gate: Carchost stands to the east while Narchost lies to the west. Gondor built these fortifications long ago to watch over the dangerous frontier. Beyond the Black Gate stretches the Dagorlad or Battle Plain where armies clash.
Inside the Ephel Dúath runs a lower parallel ridge named the Morgai. A narrow valley separates this inner ridge from the main mountains. The valley contains low scrubby trees and coarse grey grass-tussocks that wither under the harsh sun. Thickets of briars grow there with long stabbing thorns that tear at clothing and skin. Great writhing brambles twist through the landscape creating a sense of unease for anyone walking through it.
Volcano And Dark Tower
Mount Doom sits in the middle of the arid plateau known as Gorgoroth. This active volcano responds directly to Sauron's commands and presence. When the Dark Lord leaves Mordor, the mountain lapses into dormancy. It becomes active again when he returns to his stronghold. The magma heart inside is the only place where the One Ring can be destroyed.
Sauron forged the One Ring within the fires of Mount Doom during the Second Age. The volcano erupts violently when Sauron is finally defeated at the end of the Third Age. Tolkien identified this fictional volcano with Stromboli off Sicily after sailing past it on a Mediterranean cruise in September 1966. He stated he had never seen anything that looked so much like Mount Doom.
Barad-dûr stands on the north side of Gorgoroth at the end of a spur from the Ash Mountains. The name means dark tower in Sindarin while Lugbúrz translates the same way in Black Speech. Gandalf described the ring as the foundation of Barad-dûr meaning its walls would survive as long as the Ring existed. The fortress rises blacker than the vast shades amid which it stood with cruel pinnacles reaching toward the sky.