Vere Fortress

Together with fortress of Ateni, also the fortress of Vere was a strategically important stronghold in the Ateni valley and for centuries secured an important communication route from South Georgia to the Kartli region and on to Tbilisi.

The name

The name Vere was given to Fortress, because of the river Vere, on which the fortress is built.

A brief history of the Vere fortress

The fortress of Vere dates back to the 9th and 10th centuries. Like the other fortresses of the Ateni Valley, it belonged to the Baghvashi family, a powerful noble family known as the Grand Princes of Kldekari.

In the 11th century, the King of United Georgia, Bagrat III, took control of the fortress and it remained in royal hands until the Persian Shah Tahmasp I invaded Georgia and annexed the country. 

In the 17th century, Veres Fortress served as a retreat for Georgian princes who had organised a rebellion against Persian rule. The rebellion was brutally suppressed, the rebels severely punished and the fortress of Vere badly damaged.

Location and architecture of the fortress

Vere fortress is situated on an inaccessible hill between the small rivers Vere and Chechelaant-Chevi in the Tana valley. Due to the steep slope, it is almost impossible to reach the site from the river Vere, from which the fortress takes its name. It can only be reached from the Chechelaant-Khevi river.

Vere fortress is built of river stones and has an irregular, elongated shape.

It is 44.6 metres long, 14.8 metres wide in the east and 6 metres wide in the west. There are several defence towers to the east and west of the fort. Inside the fort, on the southern wall, there is a large water reservoir.

In 2006 the fortress was declared a cultural monument of national importance by Vere and can be visited free of charge.