The Ranthambore Fort is located at the top of a rocky outcrop in the middle of the forest, which almost literally marks the meeting of the Aravali and Vindhya hills ranges. A marked difference can be noticed in the terrain in front of and that behind the fort. The fort is huge and covers an area of approximately 7 kilometers in circumference. It is one of the oldest forts in the country and is said to have been built in 944 AD by a Chauhan warrior.

Due to it's location and structure, it is considered to have been one of the most difficult forts to overthrow. It repulsed attempts by great warriors such as Alaudin Khilji, Kutub-ud-din, Feroz Tughlaq, Bahadur Shah of Gujarat
According to a legend, over a thousand women once committed mass suicide as they would rather have killed themselves than fall prey to the armies of a victorious invader.