Kvareli fortress is one of the largest of the Kakhetian strongholds of the 16-18th cc. Forming a virtual square it is situated on a plain and is equally accessible from all sides. The corners are formed by towers of cylindrical shape, and the main entrance is located in one of them.The main wall is also subdivided by smaller towers. The whole structure hosts 3 main floors, with facilities and embrasures designed to hold a garrison strong enough to resist a siege of an army of twenty-five thousand, as recorded by a historical tradition. Decorations are scarce, which is similar to other Georgian fortresses. However, the entrances are accentuated by brick rhombs and crosses.Initially the citadelwas furnished by another wall, in about 20 meters inside the extant fortress. Georgians rarely built their fortresses on a plain, and if they did they usually chose a location with a secure water supply.In such case the strongholds were often protected with fosses, and Kvareli Fortress was similarly secured. The fortress was of strategic importance as a piece of defensive infrastructure for both Kakheti and the inner regions of the country from Lezghin invasions of the 18th c.