Perched in the heart of the Thar Desert, Jaisalmer stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone, and is crowned by the ancient Jaisalmer Fort. This fort contains a royal palace and several ornate Jain temples. Many of the houses and temples of both the fort, and of the town below, are built of finely sculptured sandstone. For the better part of its 800-year history, the fort was the city of Jaisalmer. It is believed to be one of the very few "living forts" in the world as nearly one fourth of the old city`s population still resides within the fort. Built in 1156 CE The fort is 1,500 ft (460 m) long and 750 ft (230 m) wide and is built on a hill that raises above a height of 250 ft (76 m) above the surrounding countryside. The base of the fort has a 15 ft (4.6 m) tall wall forming the fort`s outermost ring, within its triple ringed defence architecture. Evening drive to the desert for a short camel ride to watch the sun setting down in the backdrop of the golden desert.