Kvetera Church

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The church with the dome and the ruins of the Kwetera complex

Kwetera, Kwetari or Kueteri (Georgian კვეტერა, კვეტარი, კუეტერი ) is a Georgian historical castle and town in the region of Kakheti, Achmetis Munizipaliteti. It is located on the right bank of the river Ilto, about 10 km ( air line) west of the city Akhmeta.

The weir was built on a mountain and has an area of ​​about 280 × 120 m. The main castle with a palace and a church located in Summit location on the east side of the castle. The outer defensive wall with towers and two gates protected the castle situated outside the core parts of the lower castle with a second church, the Economic and storage buildings as well as the accommodation for the garrison. The location of all these buildings and their architectural details have not yet been extensively explored archaeologically, they were distributed well over the slope, which has a height difference of about 35 m. The main attraction in Kwetera complex is a church with the dome.

In the Georgian sources Kwetera is first mentioned in the 11th century, but Georgian historian Wachuschti Bagrationi ( Batonischwili ) reported from the 18th century that Kwetera castle and town already existed in the 8th century. The archaeological excavations confirm this version of Wachuschti. Kwetera was a center of the principality of Kakheti and later also of the Kingdom of Kakheti. The King of Kakheti Kwirike III. divided the kingdom into seven Saeristawo (regions), and that included Saeristawo of Kwetera with the political center in the city Kwetera. In the 13th century the city was deserted Kwetera and then it was not re-inhabited. Since that time Kwetera is not mentioned in Georgian sources again.

1968 was carried out archaeological excavations in Kwetera. During the excavations, the ruins of a small church and several medieval harness was found. This rich material is now stored in the Museum of the City of Dusheti.