Dusheti is on both banks of the small, mountainous Dushetis-Khevi River in the foothills of the Greater Caucasus range at an elevation of 900 m. It functions as the center of the Dusheti Municipality which, beyond the town itself, includes several villages of the historical community of Pkhovi, (Pshavi, and Khevsureti).

[3] In the 17th century, it served as a residence of the local mountainous lords – the dukes of Aragvi – whose defiance to the Georgian crown more than once led to invasions and devastation of the town by the royal troops.

The town and its environs were a scene of disturbances during the Russian Revolution of 1905, the peasants’ revolt in 1918, and an armed clash during the 1924 August Uprising against the Soviet rule.

Nowadays, most people work in service industries (banking, education, auto-repair, and retail) as well as subsistence farming.

The town itself houses a number of architectural monuments including the 9th-10th-century church of St. George and the 18th-century palace of the Chilashvili family.