People often ask me about the derivation of my name, what it means, or if there is some ethnic group or language connected with it.  Although I know many meanings for Moria, I am amazed that I continue to find yet more, on and on.

• The infamous Tolkien meaning of Moria, from The Lord of the Rings, by JRR Tolkien. (This is probably what I am asked about most often.)
• Wikipedia description of Moria    "In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world, Middle-earth, Moria (also known as Khazad-dûm, The Black Chasm, The Black Pit, Dwarrowdelf, Hadhodrond, and Phurunargian) is the name given to the underground city, mines, and connected tunnels that run through the central Misty Mountains. There, for many thousands of years, a thriving Dwarvish community created the greatest city ever known." However.... "By the end of the Third Age, at the time of the events of The Lord of the Rings, Moria had become a dark and cursed place."
• Mountains of Moria.  This description of the Mountains of Moria is also from Wikipedia.
• The Mines of Moria. A place in the Tolkien Trilogy ("The Lord of the Rings"). This page has nice pictures of Moria.
• The Mines of Moria   A Tolkien fan site
• Lord of the Rings dictionary (M-Q) (scroll down to "Moria")
• The computer game Moria, which is (vaguely) related to the JRR Tolkien place Moria:
• The Moria Page: Official web page including  Frequently Asked Questions about Moria, and this list of verions of Moria (including Umoria, Imoria, Pmoria, Amiga Moria, and other offshoots.)
• Wikipedia description of the computer game Moria (and later derivations, such as Umoria and Diablo): "Moria is an old roguelike computer game, based on a story from The Lord of the Rings. The goal in the game is to reach the bottom of the maze of mines of Moria and kill the Balrog."
• The Mines of Moria  Info on the computer game by this name, and related games.

• Mount Moria in Israel, and as referenced in The Bible:
• Mount Moria (Jerusalem, Israel).  Mount Moria is spelled both Moria and Moriah, and is pronounced several ways.
• The Western Wall timeline "1000 BC - Purchasing Mount Moria: King David conquered Jerusalem, which was a Jebusite city located on the Ophel hill, southeast of today's Old City area. He bought a neighboring hill, which was later identified with Mount Moria (the site of Isaac's sacrifice), on which he placed the Ark of the Covenant."
• Sheraton Moria Eliat (Eliat, Israel)  A hotel, of course.
• From Catholic Encyclopedia, detailed descriptions of the topography of the area: "(b) Mount Moria, or the Eastern Hill, is a narrow promontory connected with Mount Bezetha"..... "Upon its highest crest (2443 feet) was the domain of Ornan (Areuna), the Jebusite, where Solomon built the Temple and his palaces. This is the summit called Moria..."  ... "Cedron... begins near the so-called Tombs of the Judges, and descends... thence south, becoming a deep gorge separating Mount Moria from the Mount of Olives and the Mount of Offence....  it is crossed by a bridge which has replaced one of the Jewish period. This older Jewish bridge gave access, on the right, to a staircase cut in the rock and leading up to the north side of the Temple, and, on the left, to a similar staircase leading up to the Mount of Olives. To the left of the bridge is the Garden of Gethsemani...."
 
• Hebrew meaning: God is my teacher
• Baby name network: Moria, Hebrew: "my teacher is God"

• Moria, a town in South Africa
• Mayors Head for Moria News item about notables heading for Moria, South Africa for Easter.
• Travel page about the Capricorn region of South Africa: " Some of the most significant landmarks in the area are the impressive University of the North and the Zion City at Moria. This is the seat of the Zion Christian Church, a church with the largest following in South Africa. During Easter Weekend each year, millions of followers congregate here.
• Villa Moria (hotel), South Africa

• Soria Moria:  I'm not sure what exactly Soria Moria is. Then again, maybe Soria Moria is a bunch of things. There are many web pages with various references to it, but few that are in English. Here are a few clues:
• Soria Moria (hotel), Oslo, Norway. Pictures from Soria Moria Hotel!!
• Soria and Moria, the travels of 2 bears, beginning near Oslo, Norway.
• Soria Moria Castle, The Red Fairy Book, by Andrew Lang  "West Wind! West Wind! Canst thou tell me the way to Soria Moria Castle? Here is one who would go thither."
• Soria Moria Castle, from Popular Tales from the Norse. Pretty much the same story as from The Red Fairy Book. "Thou Moon, thou Moon," she screamed, "canst thou tell me the way to Soria Moria Castle?"
• Album  "Soria Moria"  by Sissel, a Norwegian singer, including a song (track #7) "Soria Moria". Here are the words to the song Soria Moria (in Norwegian, I presume). Ahh, apparently Sissel is much taken with the fairy tale about Soria Moria.

• Here is a very nice picture of The Roman Aqueduct at Moria, on the Greek Isle Lesbos (birthplace of Sappho).
• This page has some more nice pictures of Lesbos (also spelled Lesvos). Scroll down to the bottom of the page for a description of the town Moria and the Roman Aqueduct.
• Lesvos Island history: "The theatre of Mytilene originally build in the 5th Century B.C. was renovated by the Romans. An aqueduct was build to ensure that sufficient water supplies reached Mytilene. The remains of the aqueduct can still be found in MORIA."

• Wikipedia description of Moria, an olive tree in ancient Greece

• Mount Moria Cemetery, in Deadwood, South Dakota. Scroll down for pictures of the grave sites of Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane.

• MORIA, makers of Moria Lasik Instruments:  "Since 1996 when MORIA decided to enter the Refractive Surgery market, the Lasik procedure has become one of the largest businesses in Ophthalmic Surgery. MORIA has contributed to this fantastic adventure with constant innovation, intensive training and educational programs worldwide."

• Moria poetry journal

• The local band Moria, in Salinas, California. In case you are wondering, Moria "Sounds Like: Blood Has Been Shed, Blind Guardian, Dead To Fall" (those are other groups)

• The inhabited planet Moria, in a series of computer games and books called StarCraft. This description is from Wikipedia. "Moria is a mineral-rich world in the StarCraft universe, located in the Koprulu Sector." ... "The original colonists of Moria arrived in the Argo, a vessel whose databanks were rendered inaccessible when it crashed on Moria."

 
• Books about the StarCraft universe. Description from Wikipedia.

• There are several other meanings or associations of Moria which I have been told about, but which I have not found web pages for (yet).

• Finally, here are a couple of things that are "close", but not Moria:
• Moorea, an island in the South Pacific
• Song "They Call the Wind Maria" from the musical Paint Your Wagon.  (I expected this to be "They call the wind MORIAH", but web sites I've looked at about the musical spell it MARIA, not Moriah.)