Isengard

Isengard is a fictional fortress and valley in J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth, best known as the stronghold of Saruman the White during the later part of the Third Age. The name is Sindarin for “Iron Fortress.” The site lies at the western edge of the Misty Mountains, in the valleys near the Gap of Rohan, and guards some of the western approaches to the lands beyond the mountains. The central feature of Isengard is Orthanc, a tall black tower that rises above a surrounding ring of walls and towers.

Geographically, Isengard comprises a fortified valley fed by the Isen River. In its early days the fortress served as a strategic defensive outpost and a place to oversee trade routes between the Misty Mountains and the plains. The area around Orthanc includes workshops, mills, and extensive quarrying, reflecting Saruman’s shift toward industrial war-making.

Historically, Isengard became the base of operations for Saruman after he abandoned Gandalf and aligned with Sauron to pursue power. From Isengard he commanded forces, conducted wars of conquest, and pursued the creation of weapons and war matériel, including breeding armies of orcs and other creatures. His activity transformed the surrounding countryside into a workshop of war.

In the culmination of The Lord of the Rings, the Ents march on Isengard, destroying the dam on the Isen and flooding the valley. Saruman is defeated and expelled; Orthanc remains but Isengard is left ruined. The site is thereafter depicted as a ruined, contested region near Fangorn Forest.