Middle-Earth Tours

Tour 2: The Places of Middle-Earth

Barad-Dûr

Barad-Dûr, by Roger Garland


The Dark Tower, by John Howe

Far off the shadows of Sauron hung; but torn by some gust of wind out of the world, or else moved by some great disquiet within, the mantling clouds swirled, and for a moment drew aside; and then he saw, rising black, blacker and darker than the vast shades amid which it stood, the cruel pinnacles and iron crown of the topmost tower of Barad-Dûr. One moment only it stared out, but as from some great window immeasurably high there stabbed northward a flame of red, the flicker of a piercing Eye; and then the shadows were furled again and the terrible vision was removed. --trotK, "Mount Doom"

Barad-Dûr, by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Nazgul, by Ted Nasmith
The top left picture above, painted by Roger Garland, seem to be a view of Barad-Dûr from inside the Sammath Naur, a.k.a. the Chambers of Fire where the Cracks of Doom are located. That would explain the shape of the framing rocks, which give a particularly eerie view of the Eye of Sauron.


A brief vision he had of swirling cloud, and in the midst of it towers and battlements, tall as hills, founded upon a mighty mountain-throne above immeasurable pits; great courts and dungeons, eyeless prisons sheer as cliffs, and gaping gates of steel and adamant: and then all passed. --RotK, "Mount Doom"

composite of images from the first teaser on the official movie site
Red Eye of Sauron Atop Barad
Dûr, by Alan Lee
detail of image from the official movie site

Then at last his gaze was held: wall upon wall, battlement upon battlement, black, immeasurably strong, mountain of iron, gate of steel, tower of adamant, he saw it: Barad-dûr, Fortess of Sauron. All hope left him. --FotR, "The Breaking of the Fellowship"

from a trailer on the official
movie site
from a Decipher playing card
from a trailer on the official
movie site
Full-size versions of these pictures are on display at Rolozo Tolkien, the official LotR movie site, and theonering.net.