Dol Guldur
 

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Other Names: Amon Lanc
 

The highest point of the highland in the south-western part of Mirkwood. Due to the absence of trees the Elves called it Amon Lanc which means ‘Naked Hill’. After about thousand years of the Third Age had passed Necromancer came to Amon Lanc and built a stronghold there. After that the hill was called Dol Guldur, i.e. ‘Hill of Sorcery’. Since that time evil spread across the forest and Greenwood the Great was renamed Mirkwood. In about another thousand years the Wise began to suspect that Necromancer could be Sauron for the power of Dol Guldur was growing. In 2063 Gandalf came to Dol Guldur and Sauron fled to the East. After that the time of the Watchful Peace began. In 2460 Sauron returned to Dol Guldur with increased power and the Watchful Peace ended. In 2850 Gandalf again came to Dol Guldur and discovered that Necromancer is none other than Sauron and meeting there Thráin the Dwarf escaped. Shortly after Gandalf urged the White Council to attack Dol Guldur but Saruman overruled him and the attack was postponed. At last in 2941 Saruman being afraid of Sauron first finding the One Ring agreed to attack Dol Guldur but it was too late for Sauron having made his plans abandoned Dol Guldur and returned to Mordor. In 10 years after the attack he sent three Nazgûl to reoccupy Dol Guldur. After the War of the Ring Dol Guldur was taken by the Elves and Galadriel threw down its walls and laid bare its pits, and the forest was cleansed.

Contributed by Taurendil