Amber, or Amer, was the capital of the Kachwaha Rajputs long before Jaipur existed. In 1592 Raja Man Singh I, a trusted general of the Mughal emperor Akbar, began the palace-fort we see today on a hill above Maota Lake.
Built of pale yellow sandstone and white marble, its courtyards and halls blend Rajput and Mughal design. The Ganesh Pol gateway is painted with delicate patterns, and the Sheesh Mahal is covered in thousands of tiny mirrors that glow when a single candle is lit.
In 1727 Sawai Jai Singh II founded Jaipur and moved the court there. In 2013 Amber became part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Hill Forts of Rajasthan".
