Kveshi Fortress

The Structure of Kveshi Fortress

The fortress was built to match the landscape and is encircled by a 220 meters long wall, reaching a height of up to eight meters in some places. You can enter the fortress through a tunnel carved into the cliff. 

There is a small court church in the fortress yard, along with the remains of various other buildings, leading us to believe that it was also used as a living area. From the top of the fortress, there’s an amazing view of the surrounding villages, beautifully-tended vineyards, and green mountains.

Centuries ago, this place was where the roads to the south were controlled. It is thought that Kveshi Fortress was the Kveshiskhevi Center mentioned in 7th-century Armenian sources, which lost its status as a center in the 9th century when Dmanisi became a city.

Various noble feudal families owned Kveshi Fortress over the centuries.

It remained an important fortress until the end of the 16th century since commercial routes passed through there. In the 16th century, it was the main residence of the king of Kartli. Around the end of the 18th century, when the Qizilbash invaded and cruelly oppressed Kvemo Kartli, Kveshi Fortress was disbanded.