The beauty of it is, the only ones who may have had first person perspectives on the truth of the matter are the few remaining Ancient Elves that still exist and those very same Magisters that breached the Fade and devolved into madness (and neither side seem willing to talk about it). Cory never mentions a Golden or Black City in any of his dialogue after all.
Well he did occasionally mention "golden halls" and "It was black"... but yeah, nothing conclusive.
@Hiemdall: Not to mention that the roads where the Eluvians lead are "in between" the Fade and Thedas. They're not IN the Fade.
The Fade is "too much thought" to build in permanently.
Thedas is "too much material" to build in magically.
But you physically go into the Fade using an Eluvian during DA:I? There is also a Physical Eluvian in there there too, you use it to get back? Morrigan just mentions how much power must have been needed to achieve such a feat, but it still happened and means that it is entirely possible to repeat such an experience (especially in a world where the the Veil wasn't suppressing Magic).
@CardButton: I just don't find a reason for the Tevinter to be lying to themselves if their records show that the ancient magisters were trying to break into a "Black City.
After all... Minrathous is the last vestige of reliable historical records and in a Magocracy... concepts like that would be researched quite frequently (even if only as academic pursuits by young mages writing thesis).
NOTE: I actually think DA's lore is a bit of a mess - so I don't think these answers are even meant to be discovered.
Well he did occasionally mention "golden halls" and "It was black"... but yeah, nothing conclusive.
Here is some neat quotes for yah from old Cory. 
From DA2: "The City. It was supposed to be golden, it was supposed to be ours" and "The light, we sought the golden light. You offered... the power of the gods themselves. But it was... black... corrupt. Darkness... ever since. How long?"
From DAI: "I once breached the fade in the name of another, to serve the Old Gods of the Empire in person. I found only chaos and corruption. Dead whispers. For a thousand years I was confused. No more."
As for the chant of light it itself makes the whole idea that the city was ever golden a bit suspect. "And so the Golden City is blackened. With each step you take into my Hall. Marvel at perfection, for it is fleeting. You have brought Sin to Heaven and Doom upon all the World". As cool as this quote is, the only people that could have heard it are those very same Magisters that stepped into the Fade, devolved into madness and then returned as Darkspawn (like Cory).
Meaning it was made up later, by someone completely un-involved in those events. While it was probably based off of older stories and hymns, the Chant of Light wasn't created until 1065 TE (and the events of the Breaking into the Fade was in -395 Ancient). That is over 1400 years of difference. They also discuss in game how there were a number of varient versions of the Andrastian faith that popped up during that time, that taught many different interpretations of those teachings and that the Andrastian faith we know in current Thedas went out of their way to crush these alternate perspectives. If they are willing to purge descent to such an extent, then it is quite possible they would be willing to destroy historical evidence that contradicts them as well. 
And yet Cory also claimed that he "walked the golden halls" in DAI. And Cole seems to suggest that Cory's own memories of the event are confused.Here is some neat quotes for yah from old Cory.
From DA2: "The City. It was supposed to be golden, it was supposed to be ours" and "The light, we sought the golden light. You offered... the power of the gods themselves. But it was... black... corrupt. Darkness... ever since. How long?"
From DAI: "I once breached the fade in the name of another, to serve the Old Gods of the Empire in person. I found only chaos and corruption. Dead whispers. For a thousand years I was confused. No more."
As for the chant of light it itself makes the whole idea that the city was ever golden a bit suspect. "And so the Golden City is blackened. With each step you take into my Hall. Marvel at perfection, for it is fleeting. You have brought Sin to Heaven and Doom upon all the World". As cool as this quote is, the only people that could have heard it are those very same Magisters that stepped into the Fade, devolved into madness and then returned as Darkspawn (like Cory).
Meaning it was made up later, by someone completely un-involved in those events. While it was probably based off of older stories and hymns, the Chant of Light wasn't created until 1065 TE (and the events of the Breaking into the Fade was in -395 Ancient). That is over 1400 years of difference. They also discuss in game how there were a number of varient versions of the Andrastian faith that popped up during that time, that taught many different interpretations of those teachings and that the Andrastian faith we know in current Thedas went out of their way to crush these alternate perspectives. If they are willing to purge descent to such an extent, then it is quite possible they would be willing to destroy historical evidence that contradicts them as well.
Is it a physical Eluvian? Or is it a creation of a spirit? Or did Mythal or something else bring it there at a later date? Hard to say, but there is no evidence of elven construction near those eluvians.But you physically go into the Fade using an Eluvian during DA:I? There is also a Physical Eluvian in there there too, you use it to get back? Morrigan just mentions how much power must have been needed to achieve such a feat, but it still happened and means that it is entirely possible to repeat such an experience (especially in a world where the the Veil wasn't suppressing Magic).
Wait.... when do you go into the Fade with an Eluvian?
The eluvian Morrigan has takes you to the Crossroads... the Crossroads is not in the Fade.
She says that Corypheus wants to get into the Crossroads because it's closer to the Fade and he can rip through this "middle space" into the Fade.
Wait.... when do you go into the Fade with an Eluvian?
The eluvian Morrigan has takes you to the Crossroads... the Crossroads is not in the Fade.
She says that Corypheus wants to get into the Crossroads because it's closer to the Fade and he can rip through this "middle space" into the Fade.
In "The Final Piece" if Kieren is the OGB you chase Morrigan through the Elluvian in her room as it seems that Kieren has activated it and ran through. When you arrive on the other side however you don't appear in the Crossroads, but rather appear in the Fade. Morrigan claims that it must have taken an absurd amount of Magical Power for it to do that, but yeah if Kieren is an Old God Baby you meet Mythal/Flemeth in the Fade and get there physically by taking an Elluvian.
And whether it is real or not if you turn around right after getting there you see an intact Elluvian right behind you, in the Fade.
After editing the image found in Trespasser:
You can kinda see what appear to be large buildings and in the center you see the Sun symbol; you can even kind of see a "pathway" breaching the barrier and leading into that Sun symbol
Eluvians can be made on Thedas though... nothing is stopping physical objects from being taken into the Fade.
That's why it would have taken so much magical power to do it.
Whoever got that Eluvian into the Fade... did it the same way the Tevinter breached the Fade to get into the Golden City either 1) with a motherlode of lyrium or 2) blood magic and plenty of it.
Jowan - the worlds worst mage - even breaks into the Fade and allows you to physically enter. So I'm not sure if it's really THAT hard.
NOTE: This argument is largely academic... The Fade represents thought and is a place purely of the mind - the Golden/Black City is metaphorical and represents "Sin" which is why everyone sees a Black City because ain't nobody clean enough to see a Golden One.
In a very real sense - the "the City" is "the Self" and what you find inside of you. Nobody can ever reach the Black City because you cannot actually know yourself so well.
So... when the Magisters supposedly do it - they find only their own corruption. Becoming Darkspawn is just a phsyical manifestation of what they always were.
That's how I see all this metaphysics anyway.
The "problem" comes when Thedosians... from Solas to the Chantry - act like any of it is "real" stuff.
NOTE 2: I think the Seekers actually go into the "Golden City" during their year of extreme asceticism and then tranquil/spirit experience.
Again... it's not a real place... it's an inner place and for a moment they are purified.
Which is why they have control over lyrium and magic.
And yet Cory also claimed that he "walked the golden halls" in DAI. And Cole seems to suggest that Cory's own memories of the event are confused.
So no, I see no evidence that would indicate the City was always black. In fact, that they expected Golden Light would indicate it was previously golden and the darkness was somehow unleashed upon it by whatever they did there.
Interesting ... I didn't notice that. 
OK I take it back, but what if it was both? There is a concept coined by Mark Twain in reference to late 19th Century U.S History that refers to the that period as "Gilded Age" of America. This rather scathing term deals with the idea that United States had become a place that at first glance was Golden and Beautiful on the Outside, but this gold was simply a thin layer that was merely on the surface and masked a country that was rotting and corrupt to its core.
What if it was the "Gilded City" not the "Golden City"? A place corrupted and rotted to its core, but beautiful and Golden on its surface. When the Magister's opened the gates and walked the Golden Halls the thin vernier of Gold was stripped away showing the place for what it was "A place of Chaos and Corruption". After all the chant does says "The Golden City is blackened. For each Step you take into my Golden Hall. Marvel at perfection, for it is fleeting." 
I'm sure the darkness was there, but I think it was imprisoned or contained in some way. When they embraced it, they let it loose and it covered the whole city.Interesting ... I didn't notice that.
OK I take it back, but what if it was both? There is a term coined by Mark Twain in reference to late 19th Century U.S History that refers to the that period as "Gilded Age" of America. This rather scathing term deals with the idea that United States had become a place that at first glance was Golden and Beautiful on the Outside, but this gold was simply a thin layer that was merely on the surface and masked a country that was rotting and corrupt to its core.
What if it was the "Gilded City" not the "Golden City"? A place corrupted and rotted to its core, but beautiful and Golden on its surface. When the Magister's opened the gates and walked the Golden Halls the thin vernier of Gold was stripped away showing the place for what it was "A place of Chaos and Corruption". After all the chant does says "The Golden City is blackened. For each Step you take into my Golden Hall. Marvel at perfection, for it is fleeting."
I'm sure the darkness was there, but I think it was imprisoned or contained in some way. When they embraced it, they let it loose and it covered the whole city.
Oh I'm sure they released something, but I'm thinking the City had been black for a long time it just retained a thin film of Gold Along its surface. I'm also thinking (and this is just a theory) that the Magister's didn't embrace the power, it was forced on them. This would explain the confusion and apparent sense of betrayal that we get from Corypheus' ramblings and the idea that he did in fact walk the Golden Halls and see the "Throne of the Gods". 
But then if that's the case then what is the Blight? I've long since stopped thinking it was the punishment of the Maker, because if that where the case, there are a lot better ways of going about it. It's something accidental, something horrible, but reminds me of something Sandal said in his Prophecy "One day the magic will come back. All of it. Everyone will be just as the were." and Cole's mentions banter about Solas "He hurts, an old pain from before, when everyone sang the same." Everyone will be just as they were and when everyone sang the same, doesn't that sound remarkably like the Calling of the Blight (which at bare minimum we know to be a Magical Plague)? 
I'm super in the realms of theory atm, but what if the blight is whatever was stripped from the Ancient Elves and left in the Fade when Solas put up the Veil? Corrupted and twisted beyond it's original form due to the long separation with its physical components, when the Magister's entered the city they were exposed to this force and corrupted and twisted themselves and released it.
I don't think the Black City is even connected to the ancient elves. The Black City is connected to the taint. Avernus says that all the answers about the powers in the taint are there.
And it would SUCK, hard, if the taint was connected to the ancient elves. That would basically mean that everything wrong in Thedas right now has some ancient elf behind it.
Why is the Veil there? Ancient Elves
Why are there darkspawn? Ancient Elves
Why are there red lyrium? Ancient Elves, well Titans too but mostly ancient elves.
Why are there Archdemons? Ancient Elves
I'm not saying it was Ancient Elves
but it was Ancient Elves...
Let's face it, any ancient evil has to be Ancient Elves...because Ancient Elves were all that was there. It's a case of the evil living on while the good is interred with their bones.
Oh I'm sure they released something, but I'm thinking the City had been black for a long time it just retained a thin film of Gold Along its surface. I'm also thinking (and this is just a theory) that the Magister's didn't embrace the power, it was forced on them. This would explain the confusion and apparent sense of betrayal that we get from Corypheus' ramblings and the idea that he did in fact walk the Golden Halls and see the "Throne of the Gods".
Corypheus says himself that they embraced the darkness of their own accord.
I doubt the gold was merely a facade, but I'm still not sure what the golden city even is. My theory remains that it represents much more than a real city in fade.
Let's face it, any ancient evil has to be Ancient Elves...because Ancient Elves were all that was there. It's a case of the evil living on while the good is interred with their bones.
Well the dragons, the Titans and their dwarven servants were also around in Thedas along with the elves and the humans likely existed as well wherever they lived before coming to Thedas... My guess with the humans is what ever Solas did to create the veil messed up the humans homelands forcing large numbers of them into fleeing their homelands and eventually entering Thedas with the Neromenian tribes arriving in the north of thedas and the Alamarri tribes arriving in the west of Thedas.
Corypheus says himself that they embraced the darkness of their own accord.
I doubt the gold was merely a facade, but I'm still not sure what the golden city even is. My theory remains that it represents much more than a real city in fade.
Maybe, Something was imprisoned in the Golden City. the source of the Blight, red lyrium, etc. The magisters freed it (or partly freed it, perhaps) when they stormed the city. And that freed corruption is what blackened the City.
The Void, Forgotten Ones, something else? WHo knows?
Avernus said that the Black City could explain the taint, so we know it's most likely the source of it. Combine that with the elves sealing the Deep Roads because of something they found, causing Solas to make them forget, makes me suspect the taint was brought to their empire and the Black City is where the Evanuris once ruled before Solas stopped their madness and trapped them and the source of the taint. Somehow this seems to connect with the Old Gods because Solas was afraid and said if all the Old Gods died something worse could be uncovered. Add Mythal trying to keep an Old God soul alive (Kieran) and it seems there's a link between the Old Gods and the elves.
Let's face it, any ancient evil has to be Ancient Elves...because Ancient Elves were all that was there. It's a case of the evil living on while the good is interred with their bones.
Actually, we have very little information on "what was there". To assume everything can be blamed on the elves is just that... an assumption. I'm not saying the ancient elves are or were perfect and blameless in all things... that's hardly the case. But I see no reason to make this assumption.
@Almostfaceman: If you really think about it... blaming everything on the elves just... feels right.
Think about it.
Elves = source of all our problems = feels right.
Here is some neat quotes for yah from old Cory.
From DA2: "The City. It was supposed to be golden, it was supposed to be ours" and "The light, we sought the golden light. You offered... the power of the gods themselves. But it was... black... corrupt. Darkness... ever since. How long?"
From DAI: "I once breached the fade in the name of another, to serve the Old Gods of the Empire in person. I found only chaos and corruption. Dead whispers. For a thousand years I was confused. No more."
As for the chant of light it itself makes the whole idea that the city was ever golden a bit suspect. "And so the Golden City is blackened. With each step you take into my Hall. Marvel at perfection, for it is fleeting. You have brought Sin to Heaven and Doom upon all the World". As cool as this quote is, the only people that could have heard it are those very same Magisters that stepped into the Fade, devolved into madness and then returned as Darkspawn (like Cory).
Meaning it was made up later, by someone completely un-involved in those events. While it was probably based off of older stories and hymns, the Chant of Light wasn't created until 1065 TE (and the events of the Breaking into the Fade was in -395 Ancient). That is over 1400 years of difference. They also discuss in game how there were a number of varient versions of the Andrastian faith that popped up during that time, that taught many different interpretations of those teachings and that the Andrastian faith we know in current Thedas went out of their way to crush these alternate perspectives. If they are willing to purge descent to such an extent, then it is quite possible they would be willing to destroy historical evidence that contradicts them as well.
DG outright confirmed it was once Golden. And nothing Corypheus says contradicts it. Unless you think he was literally looking for golden light, he was obviously being metaphorical when he says "only blackness". In fact, his statements don't even make sense if the Black City was always black.
Well the dragons, the Titans and their dwarven servants were also around in Thedas along with the elves and the humans likely existed as well wherever they lived before coming to Thedas... My guess with the humans is what ever Solas did to create the veil messed up the humans homelands forcing large numbers of them into fleeing their homelands and eventually entering Thedas with the Neromenian tribes arriving in the north of thedas and the Alamarri tribes arriving in the west of Thedas.
It's true. And it's true that the Titans seem to have also had something to do with red lyrium and all other forms of the taint and surely the Forgotten Ones have left some ancient evils. But the involvement that humans had is limited by them not being there until later.
But you physically go into the Fade using an Eluvian during DA:I? There is also a Physical Eluvian in there there too, you use it to get back? Morrigan just mentions how much power must have been needed to achieve such a feat, but it still happened and means that it is entirely possible to repeat such an experience (especially in a world where the the Veil wasn't suppressing Magic).
No, you don't. You go into a pocket dimension. The only time that we actually witness ourselves going into the Fade is during the fall at Adamant, and that was the anchor, not an Eluvian. Misconceptions are not a very sound foundation upon which to build a theory. Choosing to claim that any records we do have are inaccurate because Blights isn't a very sound foundation to build a theory on. Asking people to forget the established lore to support a theory isn't a very solid foundation upon which to build a theory. You have to take the facts, as they have been presented, and demonstrate that they support your theory. You absolutely cannot throw out facts that don't support it because they don't support it.
We've been over the passage from the library, and how mentioning a city doesn't automatically make it Arlathan. We have Morrigan's statements in the Crossroads to the effect that the elves had cities all over Thedas, but left no roads, because of the Eluvians, so were all of them Arlathan too? There is entirely too much lore that has withstood the test of time, it's the same after three games, that we're now being asked to disregard because it doesn't fit with your theory. Here's the rub, if the details make a theory unlikely, then the theory is unlikely to be true. We don't rewrite history to make them fit the theory, we rewrite the theory to fit the facts, and if it can't fit, then it's false.
But look at those pocket dimensions. Even if they're not the Fade, they behave in the same way (or in a very similar way). The physics, and architecture. It's very obvious that what we think of as the Fade (i.e., the location, the physical place) is probably another ancient Elvhen pocket dimension. Solas very likely took a part of the world and trapped it somewhere. Which is probably his screw-up - he wanted to trap the Evanuris, but ended up trapping a physical part of the world.
That's what I think Bioware is hinted at re: the Eluvians. It fits with a lot of what we see in the physical Fade, and explains its peculiar physical properties (e.g. the floating rocks, the ruins, etc.). It's not like any other pocket dimension because of what is stored there (i.e., the non-physical Fade, the thing that was "everywhere" and "not a place one went" as Solas put it at Haven).
You go in the fade with Morrigan ...that's why she's freaking out , she doesn't understand how her kid managed to do that and she says the fade is endless so you might never find Kieran.
Besides it's the same map used for the Adamant fade , just re used.So clearly this isn't the Crossroad, there is some Crossroad map they could have used if the dev wanted to..
Anyway my theory is ...the elves started to get frustrated quickly because their magic was limited inThedas.The "Earth" (aka Titans and lyrium) had some kind of pull so really they couldn't just create a castle out of thin air via magic if they felt like it.
Now the fade , you can't also create a castle out of thin air , you can have the illusion of one , I imagine they build the Golden City and it was a massive pain to do so...they had to bring in material from Thedas .
So the elves created the Crossroad , a realm with more flexible rule when it comes to magic and the material world .
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