Towers of the Teeth

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Towers of the Teeth
Fortress
General Information
Other namesNachost and Carchost
LocationCirith Gorgor, above the Black Gate
TypeFortress
DescriptionWatchtowers of the Black Gate
People and History
InhabitantsOrcs
CreatedEarly T.A.
Destroyed25 March, 3019 T.A.

The Towers of the Teeth, individually named Narchost and Carchost[1], stood at the northwest corner of Mordor. The Ephel Dúath and the Ered Lithui came together at the haunted Pass of Cirith Gorgor, and formed a gateway into that dark land. These two towers stood on the cliffs on either side of the entrance to the pass.

In the early days of Gondor, after Sauron's first defeat and expulsion from Mordor, the Gondorians built two watchtowers at the entrance to the pass, to guard Mordor and prevent the return of Sauron's servants. As the centuries passed, Gondor's watch on Mordor failed and the towers were left unmanned. When Sauron's forces returned to his ancient home, they found the watch-towers that were meant to guard against them empty, so they quickly fell under the control of the Red Eye. They became known as Carchost and Narchost, the Towers of the Teeth, and by the time of the War of the Ring, they were part of Sauron's own defences.

Other names include the Teeth of Mordor, the Towers of the Black Gate, and the Watch-towers of Morannon.

References