The Amber Fort above Jaipur — Rajput palaces on a hilltop above a desert lake
Amer (Amber) is the hilltop capital that preceded Jaipur, dominated by the magnificent Amber Fort — a 16th-century Rajput palace complex of red sandstone and white marble perched 400m above the Maota Lake. The Sheesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors), the Diwan-i-Aam (Hall of Public Audience), and the Ganesh Pol (gateway covered in mosaic and fresco) are among the finest examples of Rajput architecture. Elephants still carry tourists up the steep cobblestone ramp to the palace gate, though the practice is increasingly controversial. The fort is one of six hill forts of Rajasthan inscribed by UNESCO i…
Amer was the capital of the Kachhwaha Rajput clan from the early 11th century until Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II founded Jaipur in 1727. The fort reached its present form under Raja Man Singh I (1589–1614) and Mirza Raja Jai Singh I (1621–1667) — Mughal-aligned Rajput kings who balanced independence with service to the Mughal emperors. The town of Amer was abandoned in favour of Jaipur but the fort remained in use as a ceremonial and administrative centre. The Jaigarh Fort above Amber, connected by an underground passage, housed the Rajput treasury and cannon foundry.