# Dedoplistskaro Municipality - URL: https://explore-georgia.ge/en/municipalities/dedoplistskaro-municipality - Type: municipality - Region: Kakheti - Official website: https://dedoplistskaro.gov.ge ## History Dedoplistskaro Municipality occupies the south-eastern corner of **Kakheti** and is its largest municipality, covering about 2,529 km². Its administrative centre, the town of **Dedoplistskaro**, lies at about 800 m above sea level on the **Shiraki Plain**. Most of the territory belongs to the **Iori Plateau**, with semi-desert landscapes in the south and a more humid climate in the north; the **Alazani** and **Iori** rivers form its natural frontiers. Dedoplistskaro borders Sighnaghi Municipality to the west and north and **Azerbaijan** to the east and south. The town is first mentioned in the early 12th century as a military post of King **David IV the Builder**; according to legend, its name — “the Queen’s Spring” — is connected with Queen Tamar. Above the town rises **Khornabuji fortress**, probably first built at the end of the 1st millennium BC; by the 5th century, under King Vakhtang Gorgasali, it was the centre of a large settlement, and it was rebuilt in later centuries, including under Erekle II. The 9th-century **Church of the Ascension in Ozaani** is another notable monument. After the Russian annexation, a fort was built here in 1803 and the settlement was renamed **Tsarskie Kolodtsy** (“Tsar’s Wells”); in 1869 an oil refinery was opened. In 1963 it received town status under the name Tsiteltskaro, and its historical name was restored in **1991**. The village of **Mirzaani** in the municipality is the birthplace of the painter **Niko Pirosmani** (1862–1918), where a house-museum is dedicated to him. Dedoplistskaro is the gateway to the **Vashlovani Protected Areas**, established in **1935** and today including a strict nature reserve, a national park and natural monuments. The landscape of arid canyons, badlands, pistachio woodlands and steppe is unique in Georgia. Highlights include **Eagle Gorge**, the active **Takhti-Tepa mud volcanoes** and the floodplain forests of the Alazani; in 2003–2004 the presence of a leopard was confirmed here. For travellers, Dedoplistskaro is a destination for wild nature and wide horizons: a jeep trip into Vashlovani, a walk to Eagle Gorge, the mud volcanoes and a climb to Khornabuji make for one to two unforgettable days. Combine them with the Pirosmani museum in Mirzaani and the wine villages of nearby Sighnaghi. ## FAQ **1) Where is Dedoplistskaro Municipality located?** In the south-eastern corner of Kakheti, on the border with Azerbaijan. **2) What is the administrative centre?** The town of Dedoplistskaro, at about 800 m on the Shiraki Plain. **3) How large is the municipality?** About 2,529 km² — the largest municipality in Kakheti. **4) What does the name Dedoplistskaro mean?** “The Queen’s Spring”; legend connects it with Queen Tamar. **5) What is Khornabuji?** A hilltop fortress north of the town, the centre of a large settlement by the 5th century. **6) What is Vashlovani?** A protected area established in 1935 with arid canyons, badlands and steppe, including a national park. **7) Where are the Takhti-Tepa mud volcanoes?** In Dedoplistskaro Municipality, within the Vashlovani protected areas. **8) Where was Niko Pirosmani born?** In the village of Mirzaani, Dedoplistskaro Municipality, where a house-museum is dedicated to him. **9) What was the town called in the Soviet period?** Tsiteltskaro; the historical name was restored in 1991. **10) Where can I find official municipal information?** On the municipality’s official website. ## Sources - [Dedoplistskaro Municipality — official website](https://dedoplistskaro.gov.ge) - [Dedoplistskaro Municipality (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dedoplistskaro_Municipality) - [Dedoplistsqaro (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dedoplistsqaro) - [Khornabuji Castle (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khornabuji_Castle) - [Vashlovani Protected Areas — Agency of Protected Areas](https://apa.gov.ge/en/protected-areas/cattestone/vashlovanis-daculi-teritoriebis-administracia) - [Vashlovani National Park (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vashlovani_National_Park) - [Niko Pirosmani (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niko_Pirosmani) ## Settlements - [Arboshiki](https://explore-georgia.ge/en/kakheti/dedoplistskaro-municipality/arboshiki): Discover Arboshiki, a village in Dedoplistskaro Municipality, Kakheti. View location, basic details and map on Explore Georgia. - [Arkhiloskalo](https://explore-georgia.ge/en/kakheti/dedoplistskaro-municipality/arkhiloskalo): Discover Arkhiloskalo, a village in Dedoplistskaro Municipality, Kakheti. View location, basic details and map on Explore Georgia. - [Choeti](https://explore-georgia.ge/en/kakheti/dedoplistskaro-municipality/choeti): Discover Choeti, a village in Dedoplistskaro Municipality, Kakheti. View location, basic details and map on Explore Georgia. - [Gamarjveba](https://explore-georgia.ge/en/kakheti/dedoplistskaro-municipality/gamarjveba): Discover Gamarjveba, a village in Dedoplistskaro Municipality, Kakheti. View location, basic details and map on Explore Georgia. - [Khornabuji](https://explore-georgia.ge/en/kakheti/dedoplistskaro-municipality/khornabuji): Discover Khornabuji, a village in Dedoplistskaro Municipality, Kakheti. View location, basic details and map on Explore Georgia. - [Kvemo Kedi](https://explore-georgia.ge/en/kakheti/dedoplistskaro-municipality/kvemo-kedi): Discover Kvemo Kedi, a village in Dedoplistskaro Municipality, Kakheti. View location, basic details and map on Explore Georgia. - [Mirzaani](https://explore-georgia.ge/en/kakheti/dedoplistskaro-municipality/mirzaani): Discover Mirzaani, a village in Dedoplistskaro Municipality, Kakheti. View location, basic details and map on Explore Georgia. - [Ozaani](https://explore-georgia.ge/en/kakheti/dedoplistskaro-municipality/ozaani): Discover Ozaani, a village in Dedoplistskaro Municipality, Kakheti. View location, basic details and map on Explore Georgia. - [Patara Shiraki](https://explore-georgia.ge/en/kakheti/dedoplistskaro-municipality/patara-shiraki): Discover Patara Shiraki, a abandoned village in Dedoplistskaro Municipality, Kakheti. View location, basic details and map on Explore Georgi... - [Pirosmani](https://explore-georgia.ge/en/kakheti/dedoplistskaro-municipality/pirosmani): Discover Pirosmani, a village in Dedoplistskaro Municipality, Kakheti. View location, basic details and map on Explore Georgia. - [Sabatlo](https://explore-georgia.ge/en/kakheti/dedoplistskaro-municipality/sabatlo): Discover Sabatlo, a village in Dedoplistskaro Municipality, Kakheti. View location, basic details and map on Explore Georgia. - [Samreklo](https://explore-georgia.ge/en/kakheti/dedoplistskaro-municipality/samreklo): Discover Samreklo, a village in Dedoplistskaro Municipality, Kakheti. View location, basic details and map on Explore Georgia. - [Samtatsqaro](https://explore-georgia.ge/en/kakheti/dedoplistskaro-municipality/samtatsqaro): Discover Samtatsqaro, a village in Dedoplistskaro Municipality, Kakheti. View location, basic details and map on Explore Georgia. - [Tavtsqaro](https://explore-georgia.ge/en/kakheti/dedoplistskaro-municipality/tavtsqaro): Discover Tavtsqaro, a village in Dedoplistskaro Municipality, Kakheti. View location, basic details and map on Explore Georgia. - [Zemo Kedi](https://explore-georgia.ge/en/kakheti/dedoplistskaro-municipality/zemo-kedi): Discover Zemo Kedi, a village in Dedoplistskaro Municipality, Kakheti. View location, basic details and map on Explore Georgia. - [Zemo Machkhaani](https://explore-georgia.ge/en/kakheti/dedoplistskaro-municipality/zemo-machkhaani): Discover Zemo Machkhaani, a village in Dedoplistskaro Municipality, Kakheti. View location, basic details and map on Explore Georgia. ## This page in other languages - [Georgian](https://explore-georgia.ge/ka/municipalitetebi/dedoplistskaro-municipality) - [Russian](https://explore-georgia.ge/ru/municipalitety/dedoplistskaro-municipality)