MTSKHETA-MTIANETI

Tianeti

As a name of a geographical region, Tianeti was first mentioned in the historical sources in connection with the spread of Christianity in the Kingdom of Kartli in the 4th century. According to “Moktsevai Kartlisai” (“The Conversion of Kartli in translation ”) St. Nino left Tsobeni and went to Ertso to covert Kartli highlanders into Christianity: "გარდავიდა ერწუდ, და დადგა ჟალეთს, დაბისა ედემს და ნათელსცა ერწუ-თიანელთა". The chronicler Leonti Mroveli (11th century) provides the same information.

The historian Juansher – the other author of “Moktsevai Kartlisai”mentions Tianeti in relations with Vakhtang Gorgasali’s preparation for an attack on the Ossets: "წარვიდა ვახტანგ და დადგა თიანეთს. და მუნ მიერთნეს ყოველნი მეფენი კავკასიანნი (ორმოცდაათიათასი) მხედარი და წარემართა სახელსა ზედა ღმრთისასა, განვლო კარი დარიალანისა".

Later Vakhtang Gorgasali initiated the construction of a church in Tianeti and appointed a bishop who was in charge of Ertso- Tianeti, Pshav – Khevsureti and Kherki.

Tianeti, Ertso and Zhaleti are mentioned more than once in “Matiane Kartlisai” (The History of Georgia” in translation) written by an unknown author in the 11th century. In particular, the chronicler recalls Bagrat III, the first King of united Georgia and his attacks on Kakheti in 1008-1010; In the 10th century, Bochorma represented the center of Kakheti principality but later in the beginning of the 11th century it was moved to Tianeti. When Bagrat IV, the king of Kartli left for Tianeti to subjugate Kakheti, he set the Bodoji Palace (the Palace of Kvirike, the king of Kakheti ) on fire. This palace was regarded as the royal residence that was located on the place of present-day Tskhrakara. After burning the Bodoji Palace, Kakheti administrative center was moved to Telavi. The above mentioned toponym disappeared and the name of the political center was replaced with Mtianeti denoting to the whole region.

King Tamara’s contemporary unknown author of the work “Istorianni da Azmanni Sharavandettani” mentions the residents of Ertso-Tianeti among other highlanders who were supporting the royals troops to suppress the rebellion in Pkhovi: "მოუწოდა მეფემან ათაბაგსა და ყოველთა მთეულთა, დვალთა, ცხრაზმელთა, მოხევეთა, ხადელთა, ცხავატელთა, ჭართალთა, ერწოთიანელთა, მისცა ივანე ათაბაგსა და წარავლინა მათ ზედა."

One of the trade routes ran through Ertso and Zhaleti connecting Kartli with the Albans and Armenia. The Roman, Sasanian and Byzantine coins discovered at the archeological excavations in Tianeti District provide evidence that the population of the Iori Valley were widely exposed to international currencies at that period.

According to the historical sources at the end of the 13th century, the Mongols obliterated Kartli, Etso-Tianeti,Mukhrani, the Aragvi Valley and Bazaleti: "წამოვიდნენ (მონღოლები) და მიმართეს მთიულეთს, მოაოხრეს ქართლი, ერწო-თიანეთი და დადგნენ მუხრანს და ხერკს ერწო-თიანეთს და ბაზალეთს დასტყუევნიდიან, სადა ვის მოიხელიან, ზემოხსენებულთა ადგილებთა შინა ცოდვათა ჩვენთათვის".

References to Tianeti are also found in the works called “The Description of the Kingdom of Georgia” by the Georgian chronicler Vakhushti Batonishvili (18th century)