The imperial city of Jaipur is known for its rich architecture and history. Jaipur is home to a number of forts and monuments that remind you of the royal grandeur of a bygone era. Built of sandstone, the forts and monuments are worth seeing and are sure to enchant you. Some of the important forts and monuments that you must see while on a tour of Jaipur are City Palace, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, Jal Mahal, Amber Fort, Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh Fort etc.

City Palace
The City Palace is located in the heart of the old city. This palace spreads over one-seventh of the city area. In 1728-32 A.D Sawai Jai Singh II built this palace and afterwards many palaces came up here. City palace is nice blend of Mughal and Rajasthani architectural styles. It houses the famous buildings like the Chandra Mahal, Diwan-I-Aam, Diwan-I-Khaas, Govind Dev Temple and the City Palace Museum. The entrance to the palace is through Shire ki Deuri in the east and Tripolia Dawaja in the south.
Hawa Mahal
The Hawa Mahal or the Wind Palace was built by Maharana Pratap Singh in 1799. Hawa Mahal is pyramid shaped monument built of pink and red sandstone and looks like a honeycomb.

The five storey building is built of 953 stone curtains through which the royal women enjoyed the outside processions. Its octagonal hanging windows, superb lattice work, ceiling and ornate domes depict the wonderful architectural skills. The Palace has a natural air-conditioning system, the backside has 360 windows through which cold breeze enters.

Jantar Mantar
Jantar Mantar was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in 1728-34 A.D. This observatory is the largest and best preserved of the five observatories built by the king in different parts of the country such as Delhi, Varanasi, Mathura and Ujjain. Jantar Mantar is a concrete instrument which was built to measure the actual time of the day, the place, location of the sun, the degrees of latitudes and longitudes, the movements of the stars and planets, the correct timings of the eclipses and other astronomical phenomena.

Jal Mahal
Built in 1799, in the water of the Mansagar lake, the Jal Mahal was the royal summer resort. Surrounded by Nahargarh Hills, Jal Mahal is known for its superb architecture and excellent design. The five storeyed castle is now converted into a hotel.

Ambar Fort-Palace
Situated 11 kms to the North-East of Jaipur, Amber is the romantic fort-palace of Rajasthan. In 1592, Man Singh started the construction of the palace and was completed by Jai Singh I. The splendourous glory of this palace is stills matchless. The influence of the Mughal and Hindu architectural styles can be seen in the buildings of the fort-palace. Major attractions of the fort-palace are Sheesh Mahal, Jai Mandir, Sukh Niwas and Ganesh Pole.

Jaigarh Fort
Jaigarh Fort or the tower of victory is located at a distance of 15 kms from the Jaipur city. The fort was built in the year 1726. Named after Sawai Jai Singh II, the fort is situated on a cliff and is encircled by huge battlements. Jaigarh fort was one of the most important sentinel of the Jaipur city in the past. The fort houses the biggest cannon of the world. The fort offers the stunning views of the surrounding.

Nahargarh Fort
This magnificent fort was built in 1734 A.D by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. The fort provides breathtaking views of the Man Sagar Lake and the city. In the midst of this lake is a palatial duck blind that was used by the erstwhile royal family members for shooting parties.