The Hidden Kingdom of Gondolin

“Great was the triumph of the city, and the fair houses of Gondolin shone far and wide, as a star upon the plain.”

– The Fall of Gondolin, J.R.R. Tolkien

In the dark days of the First Age, when Morgoth the first Dark Lord held dominion over much of Middle-earth, there rose a secret realm of unrivaled beauty and power: Gondolin the Hidden City.

Concealed within the mountains of Echoriath, Gondolin was a marvel of elven craft and culture, a symbol of hope to the Free Peoples.

The Flight of the Noldor and the Birth of a Dream

Gondolin was founded by Turgon, the son of Fingolfin and a prince of the Noldor the proud, high Elves who defied the Valar and returned to Middle-earth to wage war against Morgoth.

After suffering heavy losses in the Dagor Bragollach ("The Battle of Sudden Flame"), Turgon was guided by dreams sent by Ulmo, the Vala of waters, who remained sympathetic to the Elves.

Ulmo led Turgon to the hidden valley of Tumladen surrounded by the Encircling Mountains and showed him a vision of a great city a new Tirion in exile.