Castle town of Kvetera (Region of Kakheti)
Castle town of Kvetari (Kvetari, Kueteri) (Georgian: კვეტერას ციხე-ქალაქი) – Fortress town of Kvetera was one of the centers of the Kakheti principality (later kingdom). Its advancement was largely facilitated by its favorable geographical location. It was first mentioned in chronicles in the 11th century, but some chroniclers date the foundation of the town to the 8th century, which is confirmed by archaeological excavations. The fortress town, perched on a hill, covered a very large territory and was surrounded by a stone wall with defensive towers evenly spaced from each other. All the buildings and ruins here tell us about the former glory and powerful feudal lords of Quetera, who did not obey even the king.
Of the buildings, three structures stand out: a palace and two churches (a hall and a domed one). The main attraction of Kvetera is the brilliant domed four-apse church of the 10th century. In architectural form, it is an absolute tetraconch. Shell rock was used abundantly during construction. There are two entrances – one on the south side, the other on the west. The temple was never painted from the inside, but an inspection of the beautiful facade of the building will give visitors true aesthetic pleasure. The palace was built in the 10th-12th centuries and was two-story. The hall church, which stood on this site before the construction of the fortress wall, is badly damaged. After the 13th century, Kvetera is no longer mentioned in historical documents, from which we can conclude that the city was empty at that time and lost its significance.
Ilto River Valley (Georgian: მდინარე ილტოს ხეობა), Akhmeta Municipality (Georgian: ახმეტის მუნიციპალიტეტი)
