The Mtkvari River flows by Uplistsikhe, Georgia, and plays a significant role in the region's landscape and history. The river is also known as the Kura River and has its source in the mountains of central Georgia, near the town of Lori. The river flows through the eastern third of Kvemo Kartli, a region in central-to-eastern Georgia, and is an important part of the landscape and the site's history in the region of Kartli.