History

The sculls found in Dmanisi region (Georgia) and thoroughly studied in France proved that the first European came from this territory 1 million 700 thousand years ago. This fact is accepted and acknowledged by the scholars and scientists all over the world.

People which dwelled on the area are now called Georgians, although the original name of Georgia is Sakartvelo and that of Georgian Kartveli. Russians call the country Gruzia, and the people Gruzini; Turks call the country, Gjurdjistan, people, Gjurdji.

Georgia has a very favorable geographic location. Mild Subtropical climate, natural resources, glorious mountains, sunny sea side makes Georgia a very attractive tourist site. One can ski in the mountains and then swim in the Sea at the same day in Georgia. Iron ore and coal, copper and manganese are mined, oil is extracted and marble quarried. There are numerous curative mineral springs the gushing rivers represent a huge hydro-electric potential, and the Landscape, amazing in its diversity, is yet another valuable asset. There are the palms, eucalyptuses and liana-entwined jungle of Colchis, the snowy mountain peaks; pine-and beech-clad slopes of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus ranges; the steppes of the Yori Plateau covered with beard grass; the orchards of Kartli and the world-famous vineyards of Kakheti; the Imereti and Samegrelo, and the alpine pastures of the upland regions of Svaneti, Tusheti and Khevsureti.

Mountains and plateaux cover four-fifths of Georgia’s territory. Ridges of mountains divide the country into regions, each of which have a distinctive landscape and microclimate, and characteristic architecture, costume, folklore, traditions and customs. Archaeologists and historians have established that Georgia was one of the regions which saw the emergence and development of primitive man and the origins of civilization. Stone implements fashioned during the Paleolithic Age, have been found here. The people of Georgia were amongst the first in the Caucasus to master the melting and casting of metals, first copper and bronze, then, as early as the 9th – 7th centuries BC.

During the Bronze Age large tribal confederations were formed here, the basis for the first Georgian states, Colchis (6th century B.C.) in Western Georgia Kartli of Iberia (4th century B.C.) in the east. The tradition of the unified state was persevered in subsequent centuries, all through the Middle Ages, with old cities formed in the Hellenistic period continuing to grow, and new centers of culture appearing – Mtskheta, Uplistsikhe, Vani, Gori, Shorapani and others. Even before 337, when Christianity was made the official religion in the Kingdom of Kartli (and subsequently in the entire territory of Georgia), an alphabet had been developed and a written language had appeared.

Georgia’s path through the centuries and the millennia was arduous and troubled. Like a magnet its lands attracted hordes of conquerors. The Georgians had to fight for their independence and it survived.

The Georgian Script is one of the fourteen alphabets in the world today. It appears in two versions: the first being the ancient one which was used mainly by priests and the second, used by the common people.

The oldest specimen has been preserved since the fifth century. Then came a few alterations but since the eleventh century the Mkhedruli script has remained the same and is now the only form of modern Georgian writing. It is interesting that Greek writers considered the natives of western Georgia to be literate people. According to Georgian historical sources, Georgian literacy was the achievement of King Parnavazi who lived in the third century B.C.

The oldest known inscriptions in the Georgian scripts are from the Judean Desert in Israel and date from circa AD 433 and from the church in Bolnisi, AD 493. The oldest Georgian manuscript, which dates from AD 864, is in St Catherine’s Monastery, in the Sinai Desert. The oldest specimen of Georgian literature is “The Martyrdom of Shushanik,” by Iacob Khutsesi.

Georgian is a difficult language to learn. It uses distinctive word formations with morphemes and a complete set of rules governs its verbs. Foreigners find difficulty coping with the tongue-twisting cluster of consonants that are present with dazzling variety (as it was mentioned there are some linguistic similarities between Georgian and Basque languages and the scholars are studying possible relation of the peoples and languages).

The fact that the Georgian language has endured throughout this country’s turbulent history is perhaps the greatest single factor in the survival of the Georgians as a nation.

Religion

Georgians are of the Christian orthodox faith. In the first century, Christianity was first preached here by the apostle St Andrew. From that time onwards, the number of Christians began to increase little by little. However, Georgia remained a largely pagan country until the first half of the fourth century. This was when St Nino from Cappadoccia arrived in the east Georgian Kingdom of Kartli with a mission to convert this country.

According to a well-known legend, St Nino came carrying a cross of vine branches bound together with strands of her own hair.

She succeeded in her mission so successfully that in 335 King Mirian declared Christianity to be the state religion. Pagan idols were systematically destroyed and Christian churches and monasteries were built in their place.

During the second half of the fifth century, the Georgian Church obtained independence from the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

For over fifteen centuries, the Orthodox Church became an essential part of the Georgian spirit. The Christian church became the main center of Georgian culture. The first works of Georgian literature date from the fifth century and are descriptions of the lives of martyrs written by ecclesiastics. In the earliest centuries of Georgian church history, monks were the authors and copyist of manuscripts. The buildings of many Georgian churches, such as those of Svetitskhoveli and Alaverdi, are architecture masterpieces.

In 1921, Georgia was absorbed by Soviet Russia and became part of the USSR. The Georgian church remained independent but faced much hardship. Many of the Georgian ecclesiastics, including members of the higher clergy, were arrested or even murdered by the Bolsheviks.

Nowadays, in the newly independent Georgia, there is the beginning of a restoration of church life. True there are many difficulties along its path but it is a fact that Georgians now attend church worship. Georgians have always been tolerant towards other races and religions. Now when representatives of both the Georgian parliament and the Patriarchate have reached an agreement between state and church, the Georgian Orthodox Church is also doing its utmost to have good relations with other Christian churches and also with other religions.

Other religions

Catholic missionaries, who were often Italians, frequently visited our country in the 17th century. They lived here and left interesting records about Georgian life of these times. At various periods there were French, Italian, German and Polish Catholics in Georgia.

As for the Georgian Catholics, they live at present in southern Georgia. in the 17th century, when Turkey conquered this land, the local Georgians were Orthodox Christians. The only way for them to remain Christian was to convert to Catholicism and this is what they did. The greatest event for Georgian Catholics was the visit of the Pope in Georgia.

For many years, Georgia was a haven for the Armenians. About 500,000 Georgians of Armenian origin now live in Georgia. they have always been well integrated into Georgian society and the Armenian Gregorian Church has always been able to function without persecution.

The Protestant Lutheran Church in Georgia and the new Lutheran Church situated in Tbilisi are a good example of the religion toleration that exists in Georgia.

The first Jews appeared in Georgia twenty-six centuries ago. These were the ones who escaped from their country during the Babylonian conquest. Ever since that time, Jews have lived in Georgia. we can state with pride that Georgia is a land where the Jews have never felt oppression. They have always had rights equal to Georgians and have never been molested. When these people had the opportunity to leave for their newly restored country, beginning from the 1970s, some went but many remained. Those Georgian Jews who now live in Israel have not lost contact with their former homeland. On the contrary, they often visit our country and invite their Georgian friends to Israel.

In the second half of the seventh century, when the Arabs first invaded the Caucasus, Islam was introduced into this region. Nowadays Islam is widely spread religion in the Caucasus. In Georgia there are Muslims in the autonomous republic of Adjara where the adherents are Georgians and in lower Kartli where they are Georgians of origin. In the first area some inhabitants whose ancestors received Islam during the 17th and 18th centuries have returned to Christianity. In the second area, the Muslims live mainly in the region of Marneuli, Bolnisi and Dmanisi.

Ever since Georgia established its present independence, these people of different confessions have shown themselves to be loyal and patriotic citizens of this country.

Of course it is not so easy to travel throughout Georgia in order to study the religious situation, but if one is interested, one need go no further than Meidani Square in Old Tbilisi. Here, at a short distance from each other are located Georgian Orthodox and Armenian Gregorian Churches, a Jewish Synagogue and a Muslim mosque.

We Georgians say that this is a micro model of the whole of our country. It is a clear example of the great Georgian traditional and national toleration of religions and cultures.