Alwar city is dominated by a fort. The huge Alwar Fort with its towers stretching 5 km from east to west, rises to 304 meters above the city and 595 meters above sea level. The fort of Alwar is also known as Bala Qila. It was built even before the advent of the Mughals. The government noticeboard on the gate of the fort traces its history back to 10th century, during the reign of Nikumbh Rajput. Babar spent a night in this fort and took the treasures as a gift for his son, Humayun. Akbar's son, Jahangir also spent time here during his exile. The place where he stayed is called Salim Mahal. Maharaja Pratap Singh finally annexed the Alwar Fort in 1775 AD. It is a structure with 15 long and 51 small towers and 446 openings for muskets, along with 8 large towers encompassing it. The fort has several gates-Jai Pol, Suraj Pol, Laxman Pol, Chand Pol, Kishan Pol and Andheri gate. There are also remains of Jal Mahal, Nikumbh Mahal, Salim Sagar, Suraj Kund and many temples. A road leads to Alwar Fort. The road can be traversed by a jeep. The fort is not meticulously preserved, hence, the battlements, courtyards and stairways are a bit in shambles. Since located on a hilltop, Alwar Fort offers panoramic views of Alwar city and the valley on one side and hills on the other. Though the entry into the fort is free but a visitor has to take a permit from the office of Superintendent of Police (SP), located in the City Palace of Alwar.