Elven city in Beleriand, featured in Tolkien's The Silmarillion. It was founded by Turgon in
line with a dream to recreate Tirion and also to be hidden from Morgoth. Anyone who found their way to the city was forbidden to leave, and its location was not known to outsiders (except Ulmo who doesn't count). It was hidden in a glade called Amon Gwareth surrounded by mountains, near the start of the river Sirion, in the Ered Gorgoroth mountains.
The elves of Gondolin
left the place only once, to
fight at the Nirnaeth Arnoediad. After their defeat, they retreated, covered by Hurin and his
army, and returned to Gondolin.
Hurin and Huor found their way to Gondolin but were allowed to leave. An
elf-woman related to Turgon also
left, and as a result the
dark-
elf Eol and his
son Maeglin found their way to Gondolin. Eol was slain after he killed the
elf-woman because Turgon wouldn't let him leave. Maeglin stayed but was driven to distraction because he fancied Idril but they were cousins or something, and then she married Tuor son of Huor when he found his way to Gondolin, and he was a human not an
elf.
Finally betrayed by Hurin who, in a state of madness after being freed from Angband, cried out at the gates, and Maeglin, who, on a secret trip out of the mountains, was captured and threatened/bribed into helping Morgoth's forces enter. The city was
sacked and burned, the elves slaughtered and only a few escaped.
