Guldur

Guldur, commonly called Dol Guldur, is a fortress in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. It sits on a hill in southern Mirkwood, near the southern edge of Greenwood the Great, and is described as a dark, foreboding stronghold. The name Dol Guldur is Sindarin for “Hill of Sorcery,” reflecting its association with the shadow that hung over the region.

Historically, Dol Guldur was built and used by the Dark Lord Sauron as a strategic base in the later part of the Second Age and into the early Third Age. From this fortress he extended his influence into the surrounding woods and lands, and the hill became known as the Fortress of the Necromancer during the period when Sauron operated there in disguise.

In the late Second and early Third Age, Sauron’s power waned after the events of the War of the Last Alliance, and Dol Guldur fell into ruin. In the late Third Age, however, Sauron returned to the fortress to resume his dark work. Gandalf and the White Council uncovered his true identity and attacked, driving him from Dol Guldur and leaving the fortress abandoned. The ruins remained a symbol of Sauron’s hidden presence in the region and of the shadow that influenced Mirkwood for generations.

Dol Guldur is referenced in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, where its dark history is tied to the broader history of Middle-earth. The site contributes to the lore surrounding the Necromancer and the long struggle against Sauron’s return to power.