Mordor

Mordor occupies the southeastern corner of the map's central lands, with Gondor and the Anduin to the west, the plains of Rhûn to the north and east, and Harad and Khand to the south. Its outline is set by two mountain ranges that meet at a right angle in the northwest at Cirith Gorgor. That corner is the only easy way in, which is why Sauron built the Black Gate across it.

The interior divides in two. The northwestern quarter is Gorgoroth, a plateau of ash and slag holding Mount Doom, Barad-dûr and the forges. The south and east is Nurn, a lower and wetter country around the salt Sea of Núrnen, where slaves grew the food. Roads join the two, running south out of Udûn and east from Cirith Ungol, and the walls shut the country so tightly that armies could gather inside it for years without being counted from outside.

Sauron chose the land around SA 1000 because of those walls, and built Barad-dûr over the next six centuries. After the Last Alliance threw him down in SA 3441, Gondor garrisoned the passes and watched the empty land for sixteen hundred years. The Great Plague of TA 1636 emptied the forts, the Nazgûl slipped back in around TA 1980, and Sauron returned in secret in TA 2942 and declared himself in TA 2951.

The War of the Ring ended inside these walls. Frodo and Sam entered by Cirith Ungol while the Army of the West offered battle at the Morannon, and the destruction of the Ring on 25 March TA 3019 threw down the Dark Tower, ended the Nazgûl and left the orc armies leaderless. Aragorn freed the slaves of Nurn and gave them the southern land.

Events at this place

1. SA 1000 · The Silmarillion

   Sauron settles in Mordor

   Sauron chose the mountain-walled land as his stronghold and began building Barad-dûr in the northwest.

2. SA 3441 · The Silmarillion

   Sauron overthrown by the Last Alliance

   Elendil and Gil-galad overthrew Sauron on the slopes of Orodruin, and Isildur cut the One Ring from his hand.

3. TA 1636 · Appendices

   The watch fails

   The Great Plague emptied Gondor's forts on Mordor's borders, and the passes were left unguarded for centuries.

4. TA 1980 · Appendices

   The Nazgûl return

   The Ringwraiths came back to Mordor and gathered there, and in TA 2002 they took Minas Ithil and its palantír.

5. TA 2951 · Appendices

   Sauron declares himself

   Sauron openly claimed Mordor again, rebuilt Barad-dûr and began the preparations for the War of the Ring.

6. TA 3019, March 25 · The Lord of the Rings

   The fall of Mordor

   The One Ring was destroyed on 25 March. Barad-dûr fell, the Nazgûl perished and Sauron's armies broke.

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