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| Khazad-dûm | |
|---|---|
| Name | Khazad-dûm |
| Other names | Moria; Dwarrowdelf |
| Region | Middle-earth |
| Races | Dwarves |
| Notable people | Durin I, Durin VI, Durin VII, Gandalf, Thráin II, Thorin Oakenshield, Balrog |
| Founded | Third Age (legendary origins) |
| Abandoned | Third Age (fall) |
Khazad-dûm Khazad-dûm was the greatest underground city and mine of the Dwarves in Middle-earth, renowned for its vast halls, deep forges, and the legendary wealth of mithril. It served as the chief realm of the line of Durin and played a central role in interactions with Elves, Men, Orcs, and the forces of Sauron and Morgoth. Its fall and rediscovery figured prominently in narratives involving Gandalf, Thorin Oakenshield, and the events of the War of the Ring and the Hobbit.
The name derives from the Khuzdul language used by the Dwarves and was rendered into Westron as Moria, meaning "Black Chasm", while the Sindarin form Dwarrowdelf appears in lore. Contemporary texts refer to the city by multiple appellations across cultures, linking to Durin and to the subterranean traditions of Khuzdul speakers. Chronicles in the Red Book and accounts by Bilbo Baggins, Frodo Baggins, and Gandalf employ differing toponyms reflective of linguistic diversity among Hobbits, Elves, and Men.
Khazad-dûm occupied a complex of caverns beneath the Misty Mountains and extended along great subterranean rivers and veins of ore, notably mithril. Its principal features included the East-gate and West-gate approaches, the Bridge of Khazad-dûm spanning a vast chasm, the Endless Stair ascending to the peaks above, and the seven-tiered halls associated with successive Durin kings. Stonework and engineering connected mines like the Mithril-lode to workshops, libraries, and throne-halls, linking to surface passes by routes used during journeys of Thorin Oakenshield and Gandalf.
Founded in the primordial age by ancestors of Durin I, the city rose to preeminence during the Second Age and Third Age as a center of craft and power among Dwarven realms like Erebor and Iron Hills. Its prosperity peaked with extensive mining of mithril and construction of monumental halls, later disrupted by incursions from Orcs and by the awakening of a Balrog, a remnant of Morgoth. Episodes include the abandonment after the Balrog's awakening, the exile of rulers such as Durin VI, and episodic attempts at reoccupation by figures connected to Thráin II and Thorin Oakenshield. Its ruin influenced the geopolitics of Rhovanion and the strategies of Sauron during the War of the Ring.
Society in Khazad-dûm mirrored broader Dwarven values: reverence for lineage of Durin, secrecy of Khuzdul, emphasis on craft, and militarized household organization. Cultural institutions included clan halls, smithies associated with families like the Longbeards, and archival stores of runes and genealogies maintained by steward-kings. Rituals tied to mining, oaths swearing fealty, and memorials for slain kin informed civic life, while diplomatic customs governed contact with Elves of Lothlórien and Rivendell and with human enclaves such as Dale and Tharbad.
The economy was anchored in extraction of mithril, iron, and gems, trading finished wares and weaponry with realms including Esgaroth and Gondor. Master-craftsmen produced axes, armor, and ornate fittings prized by Elrond and by northern lords; metallurgy advanced through techniques passed among guildlike families and overseen by regents. The wealth generated funded fortifications and patronage of exploratory expeditions into the Misty Mountains, while secret smithing projects occasionally involved collaboration or rivalry with artisans from Dale and Erebor.
Key events include the first great delvings reaching mithril, assaults by Orcs and Trolls during the decline of the Second Age, the awakening of the Balrog that drove the Dwarves out, and later engagements tied to the Quest of Erebor and the War of the Ring. Battles around the West-gate and the Bridge of Khazad-dûm appear in accounts by Gandalf and Aragorn, while raids influenced migrations toward Erebor and the founding of colonies in the Iron Hills. The fall of the city is recounted alongside the tragic fate of rulers like Durin VI and in narratives involving Thráin II's captivity and the recovery attempts by Thorin Oakenshield.
Khazad-dûm features prominently in works by J.R.R. Tolkien, including passages in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, with pivotal scenes such as the encounter on the Bridge of Khazad-dûm and Gandalf's confrontation with the Balrog. Subsequent adaptations portray the city in visual media by Peter Jackson, in role-playing supplements inspired by Middle-earth Role Playing, and in stage and audio productions derived from Tolkien's legendarium. Scholarly commentaries by editors and Tolkien scholars such as Christopher Tolkien analyze the city's languages, topography, and mythic resonance across the legendarium.
Category:Middle-earth locations Category:Dwarven realms