Barad-dûr is Sauron’s fortress tower in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Its name comes from Tolkien’s Sindarin language and means “Dark Fortress.” It stands in Mordor near Mount Doom and serves as the central stronghold of Sauron’s power.
The Eye of Sauron is a symbolic and narrative image associated with Barad-dûr. Tolkien’s books do not present it in exactly the same physical form as the large flaming eye shown in Peter Jackson’s films. In the novel, Sauron is a powerful embodied being, while the Eye can represent his searching attention and vigilance.
Barad-dûr was originally built during the Second Age and was destroyed when the One Ring was destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom. Orthanc is Saruman’s tower in Isengard, while Minas Morgul and Cirith Ungol are separate fortresses in or near Mordor.