Georgia - Kvetera Church

The Church in Kvetera is erected on the top of a hill within the structure of the 10th century Kvetera Fortress. The Church of Kvetera Fortress is a very interesting composition, light, refined and exquisite. It is a tetraconch in plan (four-apse cross with four niches between apses) and is built of carefully hewn local tuffa stone shirimi. The central square of the church, crowned with the dome is intersected crosswise once on the naves of the cross and then bias by its three-quarter niches. We have in result as though a star with rays of different length. There are the chancel-bays in front of each apse. On the corners of each nave, there are three semi-columns. The imposts of arches have the profile, which is repeated in imposts of all under-cupola and apse arches as well as in the basis of the semi-spheres of corner spaces. All arches are round. The transition from the square to the under-cupola circle is created by the system of arches, placed at different levels. The dome is round inside with one window on the East and West and two windows on the North and South. There are also the windows in all apses and corner niches. In the chancel apse, there are three windows. The entrances to the church are in southern and western apses. The altar from the hewn stone is preserved in the chancel. From the outside, the apse ledges are pentahedral. All facets are adorned by arches. The three-quarter corner niches are round from outside. Beyond corner niches, there are four corners of the basis of under-cupola square. The drum of the dome is divided to 12 arches. The church is roofed with glazed blue tiles.