Georgia Country Religion: Orthodox Church, Islam and Other Faiths

Georgia is an infinitely beautiful and vast country located on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, in the western Transcaucasus. If you ask, "What religion is practiced in Georgia?" and they answer, "Orthodox or Catholic," you'll be absolutely right. Georgia is a multicultural country where tolerance and the right to choose one's religion have been established for centuries.

Let's look at the statistics on the prevalence of various religions in Georgia:

• The Armenian Apostolic Church has the largest number of adherents, accounting for 5%;
• The Russian Orthodox Church is second, accounting for 3% of Georgia's Christian population;
• The Roman Catholic Church has a small share, accounting for only 1.5%.

There are also approximately twenty Old Believer communities in Georgia, belonging to both the Russian Church in Romania and the Russian Old Orthodox Church.

Christian religion in Georgia

Historical sources of the Georgian state record that the Christian faith was brought to these lands by the pilgrim Andrew the First-Called. He traveled and preached in many large cities, showing people the sacred image of the Mother of God. The adoption of Christianity in Georgia dates back to 337.

There are many legends associated with religion in Georgia. One of them goes like this:

“When God was distributing the land among the different nations, the Georgians were very busy with the feast celebrating the creation of the world. Therefore, they did not come to the distribution. Later, when they appeared before God, it became clear they were late. Then the Georgians said to the Lord:

“Sorry, Dear One, we were late because we were drinking to Your health!”

God thought for a moment and said:

“Very well, my dears. I have a place for you too. I have kept it for myself, but for your honesty and integrity, I give it to you. But remember, this land is so beautiful that people will admire and rejoice in it for all eternity.” Thus, Georgia came into being.

Christian traditions are honored in Georgia and major holidays are celebrated.

Major Orthodox holidays in Georgia

• Christmas – celebrated on January 7;
• Dormition of the Virgin Mary – celebrated by Christians on August 28;
• St. George's Day – celebrated on November 23;
• Svetitskhovloba – celebrated on October 14.

It is believed that on holidays, people are granted God's mercy. Even prisoners are pardoned on such days.

History of Orthodoxy in Georgia

This is the story of martyrdom for Christ. Georgia was conquered and defeated for several centuries, but the people continued to fight for their faith, dying martyrs at the hands of the Muslim yoke, Arabs, Turks, and Persians, who imposed their religion on an Orthodox country. The death toll was so high that church tradition preserved the names of only those martyrs who were particularly famous for their heroic deeds.

The struggle continued from the 4th to the 19th centuries. Throughout this time, the people engaged in active educational activities. Small churches, temples, and monasteries were built throughout Georgia, serving as centers of education and Christian enlightenment. The victory came with Georgia's annexation to the Russian Empire. In 1917, after the end of the revolution, the Georgian Church was recognized as independent. Today, there are 29 Christian churches throughout Georgia, ten of which are located in Tbilisi: St. Nicholas Church, the Church of the Forty Martyrs, the Church of St. George the Victorious, the Church of St. John the Theologian, the Holy Trinity Cathedral, the Metekhi Dormition Church, the Sioni Cathedral, the Anchiskhati Church, the Church of St. Alexander Nevsky, and the Church of St. David of Gareji. The remaining churches are located in other cities across Georgia.

Bloody Bridge

Georgian Orthodox Christianity has left a bloody mark on Georgia's tragic history. It reveals incredible fortitude, pain, and mass self-sacrifice in the name of faith.

This story tells of the first instance of the Georgian people being forced to convert to Islam. It all began in 1226, when Khorezmshah Jalal al-Din invaded Georgian lands. He ordered his army to gather all the icons in Georgian homes and churches and lay them out on a bridge. People were then forcibly brought to the bridge, and Khorezmshah ordered them to desecrate the icons. Fearing for their lives, the people began to obey his order, but not everyone was willing to comply. More than a hundred people faced death that day, expressing their unwillingness to obey such an order. Among them were men, women, the elderly, and children. Jalal al-Din spared no one. Their dead bodies lay for a long time on that bridge, along with the icons. All these people were canonized. Their act is still honored in Georgia on October 31st.

After this event, two more massacres of Christians occurred in 1386 and 1616. The first was committed by the Turkic-Mongol military leader and conqueror Tamerlane. His army completely exterminated the nuns of the Kvabtakhevi Monastery. Later, a second massacre took place at the David Gareja Monastery. 6,000 monks were killed on the orders of Abbas, a reformer and military leader of his country.

Georgian Christianity in the modern state

The Georgian Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church is the representative of the community. It is headed by the Patriarch-Catholicos. Religion has made a significant contribution to Georgian culture, creating and developing a script among the people, then called Asomtavruli (also known as Mrglovani). This type of writing is characterized by its roundness, geometric symmetry, and verticality. The writing technique involved inscribing the letter as if within a square frame. This type of writing was used on papyrus or paper.

Nuskha-Khutsuri is a lowercase script. Its distinctive feature is that the writing is an example of a four-line system. A four-line grid was drawn on leather or paper made from it. At many stages, traces and lines of the grid, made with the tip of a special writing instrument, are visible. This type of writing is called angular because the letters are slightly slanted when written.

In 2001, the Georgian government and the Church signed an agreement outlining the advantages of the Orthodox Church as the official church over other denominations. But in 2011, the Constitution was amended, making all religions in the country equal.

The Armenian Church in Georgia

In Georgia, the Armenian Church is one of the largest denominations. The Armenian Apostolic Church is considered Orthodox, but not in the generally accepted sense. Believers profess Monophysitism, which contradicts the traditional division of the Orthodox Church into Eastern and Byzantine-Slavic. Recent studies have shown that over 250,000 Armenians living in Georgia profess Monophysitism.

Previously, more than 650 Armenian churches stood in Georgia. Some were demolished or destroyed, while others were rebuilt as Georgian churches. Only two functioning churches remain in Tbilisi: Surb Gevorg on Meidan and the Church of Nor Echmiadzin.

Catholicism in Georgia

Catholic Church representatives are located in large cities in southern Georgia. Their population is approximately 100,000. Catholicism in Georgia is represented by believers of the Roman Catholic and Armenian Catholic Churches. In 1991, after the restoration of Georgian state independence, the Catholic Church regained its freedom of activity.

Today, there are more than 30 open Catholic churches in Georgia: the Church of the Holy Cross, the Armenian Catholic Church of the Holy Mother of God, the Church of the Holy Spirit, Bolnisi Sioni, Anchiskhati, the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Lamaria, the Roman Catholic Church of the Ascension of Jesus Christ, the Church of St. George in Eredvi, and others.

Islam in Georgia

Frequent invasions of Georgian lands by Islamic states and Arab forces between the 15th and 18th centuries led to the emergence of Islam in Georgia. Islam is part of a number of denominations. The Muslim community is divided into two groups:

• Shiites
• Sunnis

The large-scale spread of Islam was facilitated by the size of the Muslim population. Muslims make up 10% of Georgia's total population. These include Azerbaijanis, Adjars, Lezgins, and many others.

In Tbilisi, the only mosque in Georgia where Shiites and Sunnis pray together has survived since the Soviet era. Currently, 130 mosques are registered, and only 50 of them are located in Kvemo Kartli.

Despite its relatively small size, Georgia combines a multitude of religions, faiths, and peoples. The ancient history preserved by our ancestors to this day testifies to the greatness, courage, and devotion to tradition of the Georgian people.

Thanks to this, today we can experience not only medieval times but also the formative years of humankind 5,000 years ago. After all, Georgia was the site where the first Caucasian representative of the human race was discovered.

Learn more about this incredible country in Madloba's catalog. Here we publish a wide range of facts about Georgia's landmarks, modern life, and national customs. Leave your comments and share your opinions on the character of the Georgian people and their hospitality.