Kvetera Fortress – is located in Ilto gorge, on top of the range, in a distance of some 36 km from the sity of Telavi. Heaving been a central point of once large and well-fortified settlement, it is a rather interesting monument, but from the point of the church architecture a small domed gallstone church erected within its citadel is the most noteworthy construction of the area.
By all means it is aither a citadel or a family church. Two-storied palace, apparently contemporaneous to the church stands westward of it. During the construction of this particular monument a designer apparantly have followed a sample – the small church of Old Shuamta Monastery – a building with the tetraconch configuration and narrow niches at the corners. But a skillful master of X century slightly changed the layout and by means of its moderate alteration has created a very distinguished monument. Through enlargement of corner niches tertaconch configuration of the church has been substituted to a star-shaped layout.
Strong impression of motion and dynamics is created by the arrangement of shafts and imposts in every internal and external corner, their interweave coupled with the arrargement of tromps with hanging out corners. All thies elements have totally diminised any trace of tranquility and proportionality so common for the monuments built at early stages of architectural development.
With almost no another equally beautiful monument alike, this almost literally “modeled” construction gives an impression of being alive due to perfectly nselected colors – yellowish of gallstone is combined with the navy-blue glaze of the tile – undoubtedly making this church one of the most attractive monuments of Georgian architecture.