Khazadnûr

Khazadnûr is the ancient Dwarven fortress and city beneath the western ranges of the Misty Mountains, known to its inhabitants as Khazad-dûr and popularly associated with the underground realm later called Moria. The name Khazadnûr is a variant used in some texts and fan traditions to refer to the same great stronghold, the capital of Durin’s Folk in its height.

Location and layout

Khazadnûr extended through a vast underground complex carved into the mountains’ rock, featuring extensive halls, forges, and mines connected by a network of passages and stairways. Its western doors opened toward the surface lands of Eriador, while its heart lay in ceremonial and residential quarters for the royal line and the great artisans. A prominent feature was the Bridge of Khazad-dûr spanning a deep chasm, a route between upper galleries and the lower forges. The city housed the great forges and workshops where dwarven crafts—especially smithing and stonework—reached phenomenal scales.

History and decline

Founded by Durin I in the early era of Durin’s Folk, Khazadnûr grew to become the most powerful Dwarven city, a center of mining, craftsmanship, and governance. Over time, dwarves delved too deep seeking mithril and other riches, awakening a Balrog that dwelt in the deeper halls. The cataclysm drove the inhabitants into flight, and the city was abandoned and later fell into ruin, known to many outside as Moria. In the Third Age, it became a shadowy, perilous place until the Fellowship of the Ring traversed it during their voyage.

Legacy

Khazadnûr remains a symbol of Dwarven ingenuity and tragedy in Middle-earth lore. Its ruins, remnants of great halls and gates, endure as a memory of a city that stood at the pinnacle of dwarven civilization and was lost to time.