Black Gate

The Black Gate blocked the pass of Cirith Gorgor, the gap between the Ephel Dúath and the Ered Lithui in the northwestern corner of Mordor. The Black Gate was a single gate of iron, which consisted of two vast iron doors under a frowning arch, in a rampart of stone with a battlement that stretched between the high cliffs on either side of the mouth of the pass. On two sheer, black-boned and bare hills that were thrust forward from the mouth of the pass stood two strong and tall towers, the Towers of the Teeth.

Immediately north of the Black Gate was the Desolation of the Morannon and the Slag-hills. Further north of it was the Dagorlad. North of the Black Gate a road running north from Ithilien met another road that went north in the direction of the Dagorlad and a third road that ran east along the Ered Lithui. South of the Black Gate was the valley of Udûn that led to the plain of Gorgoroth in Mordor.

The Black Gate was built by Sauron after he chose Mordor as a land to make into a stronghold in Second Age 1000.

In Second Age 3434 the Battle of Dagorlad took place at the plain Dagorlad in front of the Black Gate.

After Sauron's fall, the Men of Gondor built the Towers of the Teeth to prevent his return to Mordor and the Black Gate was manned by the forces of Gondor.

After the Great Plague devastated Gondor in Third Age 1636, the watch on the borders of Mordor ceased and the fortresses that guarded the passes were unmanned in Third Age 1640 because of a lack of troops. It is possible that the Towers of the Teeth and the other fortresses that guarded the passes into Mordor were only abandoned temporarily and were manned again by troops from Gondor when sufficient troops became available again later.

In Third Age 1944 when king Ondoher of Gondor and both his sons fell in a battle against the Wainriders north of the Morannon the Morannon and the Towers of the Teeth were still manned by troops from Gondor.

As the strength of Gondor failed the Towers of the Teeth and probably also the Black Gate were abandoned by the Men of Gondor and stood empty for long years. It is possible that the Black Gate was occupied by the forces of Sauron after the Witch-king came to Mordor in Third Age 1980.

During the War of the Ring, on 24 March Third Age 3019, the Army of the West, numbering under 6,000 men, arrived at the Black Gate with the intention of drawing the Eye of Sauron away from Mount Doom, to allow Frodo the Ringbearer to cast the One Ring into the Crack of Doom within it. On 25 March, Third Age 3019 the Army of the West challenged Sauron. As a reaction, the forces of Sauron came out of the Black Gate, an army of Easterlings that had hidden in the shadows of the Ered Lithui beyond the eastern Tower of the Teeth approached and orcs poured down from the hills on either side of the Black Gate and attacked the Army of the West. When the One Ring fell into the Cracks of Doom the volcano Mount Doom erupted, and the Towers of the Teeth, the rampart and the Black Gate collapsed in an earthquake. The forces of Sauron fled, most of the Men of Rhûn and Harad fled eastward, some of them surrendered and the rest were destroyed.

The Black Gate was also referred to as the Morannon, the Gate of Mordor, the Gates of Mordor or Sauron's gate.

Morannon is a Sindarin name which means "Black Gate". It is a compound of môr ("black", "dark", "darkness") and annon ("(great) gate", "door").

1987-96: Middle-earth Role Playing:

The Teeth of Mordor module in the Fortresses of Middle-earth series contains drawings of the Black Gate with the Towers of the Teeth and a floor plan and description of the Black Gate. It is described that Isildur began a grand plan to seal off Mordor and that the construction began before the end of Third Age 3019 and was completed during the reign of Rómendacil I (Third Age 492 - Third Age 541). It is mentioned that by Third Age 1640 the last citadel guarding Mordor was abandoned. It is said that in the same year of the closing of the Dúnadan fortresses guarding Mordor Sauron sent all Ringwraiths except the Witch-king and Khamûl to lake Núrnen with the mission to ready Mordor for his return. It is described that they sent scouts north who found that the Gondorian fortresses were abandoned and that the Ringwraith Dwar of Waw occupied the Black Gate with Orcs, Trolls and mannish servants. It is further said that he repaired and changed the towers and the Black Gate in secret and that Gondor concerned with internal matters scarcely noted the activity. It is described that the Black Gate was destroyed in the cataclysm of Sauron's fall.

2001-03: The Lord of the Rings (film series):

The Black Gate is present in the film series. in the second film it appears as a double gate, operated by Trolls, where Frodo and Sam attempt to go through the Gate until convinced by Gollum not to do so. In the third film the Black Gate is a focal point of the Battle of the Morannon, and after the destruction of the One Ring the Black Gate and the Towers of the Teeth are seen to collapse.

2017: The Lord of the Rings Online:

The Black Gate appears in the game as the location of a number of quests in the lead up to the defeat of Sauron.

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