The fortress town of Kvetera (Kvetari, Kueteri) was one of the centers of the principality (later kingdom) of Kakheti. Its rise was greatly favored by its advantageous geographical position. It is first mentioned in the sources in the 11th century, though according to Vakhushti Batonishvili it must have existed as early as the 8th. Kvirike III, king of the Kakhetians (1010–1037), divided the territory of Kakheti-Hereti into seven duchies, among which the duchy of Kvetera was one of the most important. Kvetera's strength and importance is shown by this fact too: Bagrat IV (1027–1072), who subdued all Kakheti-Hereti in 1040–1043, was unable to take Kvetera. Traces of town life at Kvetera vanish from the 13th century, and it is no longer mentioned in the historical sources of the later period.