ABSTRACT
The fort atop the 260-foot-high Trikuta Hill is the most imposing of the city's buildings, especially when seen on the approach to Jaisalmer through the desert. Expanded considerably since 1156, it is now distinguished by ninetynine bastions, mostly built between 1633 and 1647, which follow the contours of the hill. Although smaller than the forts at Chittaurgarh and Kumbhalgarh, it is the second oldest in Rājasthān. Even today, around one-fourth of the old city's population lives within the fort; the area is densely packed with temples, houses, and palaces. The largest palace within the fort area is the seven-story edifice of the former mahārāja.
