Jaisalmer Fort dominates the countryside in the far northwestern corner of Rajasthan.

Built in 1156 by King Rawal Jaisal, Jaisalmer Fort dominates the countryside in the far northwestern corner of Rajasthan, near the border of India and Pakistan. The magnificent complex, also known as Sonar Kila ("Golden Fort") for its gleaming golden sandstone walls and buildings, flourished on the east-west caravan route connecting India and Central Asia to the Middle East and North Africa. Merchants built elaborately designed havelis among the numerous palaces, temples, bazaars, and residences inside the walls of the complex. The superb architecture within the fort was protected by double fortification walls and circular bastions, key physical components used for defense and battle. Additional features of the fort include a pitching wall to hold the clay soil of the hill in place, a toe wall, and the mori, a pathway between the inner and outer fortification walls that allowed soldiers and horses to move throughout the structure in times of war. The fort is deteriorating, and in recent times, human activities, especially the introduction of modern plumbing, have accelerated this deterioration. The need for extensive water-management infrastructure could not have been foreseen by the builders of this desert city. Yet, as tourism has increased and homes have been converted to guest houses, water drainage has become a real problem. The increase of water at a site built for a dry, arid climate caused water seepage into the clay rich soil under the fort, destabilizing it and setting off the collapse of 87 of its 469 structures. In addition, changing weather patterns—increasingly frequent and severe monsoons—are endangering the fort.