Mordor is the fictional land where Sauron’s fortress Barad-dûr stands in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
Mordor lies in the southeast of Middle-earth and serves as Sauron’s principal stronghold during the War of the Ring. Its landscape includes volcanic mountains, barren plains and the mountain Orodruin, commonly called Mount Doom. The Ring was forged in Orodruin, so its destruction must also take place there.
Frodo and Sam enter Mordor after crossing the dangerous pass of Cirith Ungol. Gollum guides them toward the mountain, while armies from Gondor and its allies attack the Black Gate to draw Sauron’s attention away from the Ring-bearer.
Mordor is not the same as Gondor, the human kingdom west of it, or Rohan, the horse-lords’ kingdom farther north. Barad-dûr is Mordor’s central fortress, while the Black Gate guards its northern entrance.