Jaisalmer Fort – Sonar Quila

Jaisalmer Fort is also famously called as the “Sonar Quila” or “Golden Fort”. It is the most famous tourist attraction of Jaisalmer. Jaisalmer Golden Fort is one of the oldest forts of Rajasthan. Bhatti King Jaisal laid the foundation of the fort in 1156 A.D. On Trikuta hill. It is famous for its antiquity and repertory of architectural wealth. The fort looks beautiful with the desert ambiance and setting sun, which gives the fort a golden look and hence the name, Golden fort. The interiors of the fort have been built and painted in Rajput style. A cross-culture merging of Rajput and Islamic architectural styles is visible in this fort.

At one point of time in history, fort housed entire population of Jaisalmer. Today, Jaisalmer can be divided into two parts. Good number of people still resides in the fort area. Rest of the population is at the foot of the Trikuta hill outside the fort. There are four massive gateways that lead to the fort – Akshaya Pol, Suraj Pol, Hawa Pol and Ganesh Pol. There are many monuments, palaces, temples and havelis inside the fort which are worth visiting. Best attraction of the fort are Jain temples which were built in it between 12^th and 15^th century. There is a beautiful palace, Raj Mahal which was once the residence of the royal family which has now been converted into a museum.