Signagi is a town in Georgia's easternmost region of Kakheti located about 100 km eastern from Tbilisi. The territory of the modern-day town was known as Hereti in the Middle Ages, and as Kiziqi after the 15th century. In 1762, King Heraclius II of Georgia sponsored the construction of the town and erected a fortress to defend the area from marauding attacks by Dagestan tribesmen - Signagi (literally, "harbor" in Turkish). Sighnaghi and its environs are home to several historical and cultural monuments. The town is walled with the remnants of 18th-century fortifications. The venerated Bodbe Monastery is located 2 kilometers from Signagi and is a place of pilgrimage due to its association with St. Nino, the 4th-century apostle of Georgia.
