Rising from the sands of western Rajasthan like a great sandcastle, Jaisalmer Fort glows honey-gold at sunrise and amber at dusk, earning it the name Sonar Quila—the Golden Fort. Unlike most of the world’s great citadels, it is not an empty monument: thousands of people still live, work and worship inside its walls, making it one of the very few “living forts” on earth. To climb its ramp and pass through the gates is to enter a working medieval town of temples, mansions, shops and homes, all carved from the same warm yellow sandstone.
The fort was built in 1156 CE by Rawal Jaisal, a Bhati Rajput ruler who moved his capital to the more defensible Trikuta Hill above the desert trade routes. For centuries Jaisalmer prospered as a caravan city on the routes linking India with Central Asia and the Middle East, and the fort guarded its wealth. It is often described as the second-oldest fort in Rajasthan.
