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HISTORY
STRATEGY
TIME TESTED
Inhabited continuously since the Early Stone Age, Georgia has stood the test of time as the link between the East and the West.
Situated in the south of the Caucasus region, Georgia covers anareaof69,700sqkmandhas a population of about 4.6 million, with 1.3 million living in the capital of Tbilisi
with Russia in the north, Azerbaijan in the south-east, Armenia in the south, Turkey in the south-west and the Black Sea in the west. Located right on the fabled Silk Route, Georgia has served as an age-old link between the East and the West.
Georgia has been continuously inhabited since the early Stone Age,
Dmanisi Hominid, considered the link species that crossed over from Africa to colonise the rest of the world, dated at around 1.8 million years, was found in Dmanisi, Georgia. In fact, many Stone Age settlements can still be found
proto-Georgian tribes first appear in
written history in the 12th century BC. Archaeological finds and references in ancient sources reveal elements of early political and state formations, characterised by advanced metallurgy and goldsmith techniques dating back to the 7th century BC and beyond. In the 4th century BC, a unified kingdom of Georgia—an early example of advanced state organisation under one king and a hierarchical aristocracy—
of Georgia’s pedigree as one of the world’s oldest nations, with a recorded history spanning over 4000 years.
Several references to the country can be found in ancient documents as well as in mythology: Prometheus, the ‘fire stealer’, was supposedly chained to Mt. Kazbek in the Caucasus, while Jason, the Greek hero, is supposed to have travelled to Colchis (modern-day Poti) in search of the Golden Fleece. Georgia alsofindsmentioninthe‘Odyssey’,where it is described as a civilisation of great
technological know-how and wealth. In fact, the port of Poti was known for its School of Rhetoric and Philosophy, and the Georgian civilisation is said to have rivalled that of the Greeks.
Georgia was the second country to convert to Christianity, in 337AD, under
to the unification of the country and the development of the arts. Georgia’s acceptance of Christianity as a state religion oriented the country westward,
Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church is one of the world’s most ancient Christian churches, founded in the 1st century by Apostle Andrew, the First Called. It is also believed that Georgia takes its name from St. George, one of Christianity’s most venerated martyrs. However, despite its strong Christian heritage, Georgia’s cusp location also enabled it to come into contact with the Muslim world, and it is not surprising to find that the country played a major role in the Crusades: the famous Crusade flag was modelled on the Georgian battle flag, now the country’s national flag.
RENAISSANCE
By 12AD, Georgia had emerged as a nation with a strong identity of its own. Under the Bagrationi dynasty, especially the stewardship of King
Builder)—and his great granddaughter Tamar, the country enjoyed a period
Fresco from the Betania Monastery belonging to the Golden Age of Georgia
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