Ajmer proudly withstood invasions even from the Muslims till Prithvi Raj Chauhan lost to Muhammed Gohri. After this, it passed on to multiple hands of feudal lords, Marwar rulers and finally the Mughals. Eventually, it was besieged by the Marathas, who subsequently lost it to the British. It became one of the only parts of Rajasthan controlled directly by the East Indian Company. After independence it became a state and on November 1, 1956, it was merged to the Rajasthan state. The city stands at an elevation of 486 m (1,594 ft) above the sea level.

Ajmer is considered a holy city being home to infinite holy shrines of various faiths. It is most famous for the Dargah Sharif, shrine of Khwaja- ud- Din Chisti, a Sufi saint of the Chishti Order in India. It city also serves as a base for visiting Pushkar (11 km).

Tourist Attractions:
Dargah Sharif: The shrine of Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti is a dream in white marble standing at the foothills of the Taragarh Hill. Once every year, the Emperor Akbar along with his wife would come walking all the way from Agra in observance of a vow he took while praying for a son. Today, along the route there are large pillars called Kose (Mile) Minar erected at equal intervals where they took shelter. The shrine comprises several white marble buildings with two courtyards and a huge gate donated by the Nizam of Hyderabad, a mosque donated by Emperor Shah Jahan, the Akbari Mosque and the domed tomb of the saint.

Taragarh Fort: Taragarh was built by King Ajaypal Chauhan and is claimed to be the first hill fort of Asia. It is said to have been built at a time when the Aravalli mountain ranges rose above the snowlines. It Fort stands on the summit of the hill overlooking Ajmer with a long 3 kms wall.

Adhai Din ka Jhonpa: This Vaishnava Hindu temple was constructed in 1153 and converted into a mosque by Qu?buddin Aybak after 1193. It is located on the lower slope of the Taragarh hill noted for its double-depth calligraphy inscriptions, in Naskh and Kufic scripts. The temple is largely in ruins now except the part that is used as a mosque, called Jama' Iltutmish.

Other attractions are the Magazine, the city's museum presently housing a collection of the Mughal and Rajput armour and sculpture. Also, the Anasagar Lake and its sprawling Daulat Bagh, a garden laid out by Emperor Jahangir.