THE 1026-YEAR-OLD CONSTRUCTION INSCRIPTION OF THE CHURCH OF ST. GEORGE OF OLD GAVAZI, MENTIONING THE KINGS OF KAKHETI-HERETI – KVIRIKE III THE GREAT AND SAHLA

Abstract

I. The main goal of the work is to study and publish the lapidary inscription preserved under number 524 in the fund of stone monuments of the Simon Janashia State Museum (Georgian National Museum). The inscription was discovered on the territory of one of the oldest and most important settlements of the historical Hereti province − Old Gavazi, and therefore, I will refer to it as the Old Gavazi inscription.
II. Four main opinions have been expressed in the scientific literature about the Old Gavazi inscription so far:
1. Giorgi Chubinashvili was the first among researchers to see the inscription, approximately in 1919. At that time, the inscription was taken from the ruins of the Nabazrevi church in one of the districts of ancient Gavazi (Teimuraz Barnaveli).
2. The inscription reads as follows: „ქორონიკონი ჲყო სმე (1025 წ.). ქრისტე ადიდე მ... ლე და სავლაჲ ამის ეკლესიის ამშენებელნი. და მლოცველი მათი ღ˜თრ (?) [შეიწყალე], ამინ; და იოანე გალატ[ოზი] [შეიწყალე]!“ (Choronikon was sme (=1025). Christ, praise M... le and Savla, the builders of this church. And [have mercy] who prays for them, amen; and [have mercy on] Ioane the builder! (Teimuraz Barnaveli).
3. According to the inscription, the church named in its text was built in 1025, by a Georgian architect unknown in other sources – Ioane the builder, under the patronage of unidentified persons − “M... le” and “Savla” (Teimuraz Barnaveli).
4. It has not yet been possible to identify and study a church in the Nabazrevi, also known as Nabazrali, district. Nevertheless, it is conceivable that the church named in the inscription was an important monument (Levan Chilashvili).
III. A thorough examination of the ancient Gavazi inscription enables me both to refine the interpretations proposed by earlier researchers and to introduce several new perspectives.
1. The inscription belonged not to the unidentified church in the Nabazrevi district, but rather to the Tavtsminda Giorgi Church located in a completely different district of Old Gavazi − Darbazovani, and was brought to the museum in 1957 from the ruins of this church.
2. The inscription reads as follows: „ქრ(ონი)კ(ო)ნი ჲყო სმვ (1026 წ.). ქ(რისტ)ე, ა(დი)დ(ენ) | მ(ე)ფ(ენი) − კ{ჳრიკ}ე და საჰლაჲ, ამის ე|კლესიისა მ{ა}შ{ე}ნ{ე}ბელნი და მ|ლ(ო)ცველი მ(ა)თი ღ(მერ)თმ(ა)ნ შ(ეიწყალ)[ენ], | ა(მე)ნ. და ი(ოვა)ნე გალ(ა)ტ(ო)[ზი] [შ(ეიწყალე)ნ]“ (Choronikon was smv (=1026). Christ, praise the kings – Kvirike and Sahla, the builders of this church. And [have mercy] who prays for them, amen; and [have mercy on] Iovane the builder!).
3. From a new reading of the inscription, we learn that the Church of Tavtsminda Giorgi was built in 1026 by Iovane the builder under the patronage of Kvirike III the Great, the king of Kakheti-Herety, and his co-regent son King Sahla, a historical person unknown in other written sources.
IV. In the work, in addition to the issues discussed above, the following issues were studied from a historical and source-scientific perspective:
1. Some episodes of the life and work of historical figures mentioned in the ancient Gavazi inscription: a) Kakheti-Hereti king Kvirike III the Great; b) Kvirike III’s co-regent king Sahla; and c) Iovane the builder.
2. The ancient Gavazi inscription and the history of the Tavsminda Giorgi Church: a) The construction of the church; b) The beseeching inscription of 1026 (?) with the mention of Giorgi; and c) The significance of the Darbazovani architectural complex.