Dol Guldur

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Rune Son of Bjarne

Yeah. . .what is it with those horns, I thought it seemed weird on some strucktures in the movies as well.

It kind of annoys me that people feel a need to make the buildings look evil in such an obviouse way. . .I would not mind if they looked like any other building or you could just make them a bit sinicter or simply dark. . .

My words. I even thought this picture up here resembles the movie Minas Morgul, only in a different light. I mean come on, why to build these horns on every building? I can understand some administrative building, like the tower where Sauron lives, might have some more interesting architecture (though I'd expect Sauron having a better taste than this), but why should every wall look like barbed wire.

[Gordis]

Dol Guldur was originally known as Amon Lanc

"Amon Lanc, "Naked Hill," was the highest point in the highland at the south-west corner of the Greenwood, and was so called because no trees grew on its summit. In later days it was Dol Guldur, the first stronghold of Sauron after his awakening. [Author's note #12 to the Disaster of the Gladden -UT]

It has been the capital of Oropher's Silvan Elves:

Long before the War of the Alliance, Oropher, King of the Silvan Elves east of Anduin, being disturbed by rumours of the rising power of Sauron, had left their ancient dwellings about Amon Lanc, across the river from their kin in Lórien. ... Oropher's retreat northwards within the Greenwood is ascribed to his desire to move out of range of the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm and of Celeborn and Galadriel in Lórien.ibid #14

Anyway, as it used to be a dwelling of Thranduil's father Oropher, it may well be that the Elves had dwelt in the caves within the hill in the manner of Doriath. At least it seems to be implied in this quote:

Thranduil established his realm in the north-east of the forest and delved there a fortress and great halls underground. Oropher was of Sindarin origin, and no doubt Thranduil his son was following the example of King Thingol long before, in Doriath; though his halls were not to be compared with Menegroth. App B to the History of Galadriel and Celeborn in UT.

Sauron the Necromancer likely used the caves for store-rooms and dungeons and also constructed a small fortress above ground.
I don't think it was ever that flashy and revealing ("This way to the Evil Overlord!") as in the picture posted above. Most likely it has been quite ordinary and seemingly of no great strength or importance. After all the Wise let it be for a thousand years and were very slow in comprehending the identity of the Necromancer.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Gordis

Dol Guldur was originally known as Amon Lanc

Oh! Really? Wow, what an interesting revelation...

Originally Posted by Gordis

Anyway, as it used to be a dwelling of Thranduil's father Oropher, it may well be that the Elves had dwelt in the caves within the hill in the manner of Doriath. At least it seems to be implied in this quote:

Yes, I thought about it as well. It is not said what the dwelling on Amon Lanc looked like, but I always imagined it as some above-ground village(s) or several spread up houses and eventually some (probably not natural) caves around there for storage rooms etc. On the other hand, the quote may be also interpretated in the way that this was the first case Thranduil (or his father) made such an underground dwelling, and that's because they had to retreat from Sauron, so they started to think about some fortress, and that reminded Thranduil of Doriath. So this would imply there were no caves, natural or otherwise, in Amon Lanc, and the dungeons and pits were made there later by Sauron. I certainly did not imagine the hill full of holes, ever.

Originally Posted by Gordis

I don't think it was ever that flashy and revealing ("This way to the Evil Overlord!") as in the picture posted above. Most likely it has been quite ordinary and seemingly of no great strength or importance. After all the Wise let it be for a thousand years and were very slow in comprehending the identity of the Necromancer.

I agree. I think if anything, it resembled some rogue keep or even a bandit lair, and only later, after Sauron returned to Mordor and Dol Guldur was inhabited once more "with power sevenfold", it might have become a more impressive fortress.

[Gordis]

Oh! Really? Wow, what an interesting revelation...

I was trying to impress not you, Legate, but the one who started this thread.

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

I think we should beat up Legate for that smug remark.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Gordis

I was trying to impress not you, Legate, but the one who started this thread.

I know. I just couldn't resist

[Stoatly Grimes]

Originally Posted by Gordis

I was trying to impress not you, Legate, but the one who started this thread.

You succeeded Gordis, I am impressed, if that's the right word

Thanks all for the responses. I agree that the artwork above - while nice - has too much of a Jackson-influence about it, with the superfluous horns and ghoulish red light.

[Alfirin]

I would agree that Dol Guldur would have to be fairly modest in apperance, proably a small stone keep with most of the actual archetecture subterrenean. If nothing else, the top of Dol Guldur would have to be below the top of the trees of Mirkwood, or it would be easily visible, if not by the elves, than by someone looking from outside of the woods from a higer elevation.
On a related note to this I have alawys wondered exactly how Saron mamged to travel from Dol Guldur to Barad Dur when it was finally ready. Sauron was presumable already in his eye from by them and while extemely powerful, this form is not particualry motile. Or am I off in my guesses and sauron was still in his Giant warrior form at the time, capable of riding.

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

It does seem to me that the above picture is a trifle flashy for a place Sauron used to hide out while he was rebuilding his strength. It's quite creepy looking, but does it make sense as a place for someone trying to pass himself off as the Necromancer rather than the Dark Lord? This fairly shrieks "someone important (and not just a lesser Nazgul) lives here." I always tended to think of Dol Guldur as your basic medieval stronghold, plain, fortified, and rather unimpressive, but effective.