The locale is first mentioned in the medieval annals as a military post established by King
David IV of Georgia (
r. 1089–1125). Tradition relates its name, literally meaning "the Queen’s spring" to
Queen Tamar (r. 1184–1213). After the annexation of Georgia,
Russians established a military fort in 1803 to fend off the area being attacked by the
Dagestani rebels and renamed the village into Tsarskie Kolodtsy (), that is "the royal wells". In 1869, the
German entrepreneurs
Carl Heinrich von Siemens and
Ernst Werner von Siemens established an
oil refinery near the village which functioned until the mid-1870s. The village retained its military installations and a large garrison during Georgia's
brief independence from 1918 to 1921. It was seized by the
invading Soviet Russian forces after hours of heavy fighting with Georgian troops on February 18, 1921. The Russian commander
Pyotr Kuryshko died in this battle. The
Soviet government changed the name into Tsiteltskaro (წითელწყარო; "Red Spring") and granted the settlement a town's status in 1963. In 1991, the historical name of Dedoplis Tskaro was restored. Ruins of
the medieval fortress of Khornabuji lie near the town. The
Vashlovani State Reserve is also located within the Dedoplis Tskaro district. ==Climate==