Didgori Valley, Georgia, August 13, 2021
Photo: blogspot.com
Yesterday marked the 900th anniversary of the most important battle in Georgian history, known as the “miraculous victory” in Georgian history sources.
In 1121, King St. David IV, known as David the Builder, won the Battle of Didgori, taking back Tbilisi and driving out the Seljuk Turks, leading to the unification of Georgia under the Bagrationi Dynasty. He is popularly considered to be the greatest ruler in Georgian history and a central figure in the Georgian Golden Age.
“Today we mark the greatest date of our history,” said Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, noting that Georgians led by King David “created one of the most distinguished examples of the military-strategic success in the history of the world,” reports civil.ge.
The Church marked the date with a memorial for the souls of those who laid down their lives in the battle at the church built at the site of the conflict, reports the Georgian Church.
Photo: patriarchate.ge
Clergy traveled to the church on foot in honor of the fallen soldiers.
His Holiness Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II also served a memorial at the Patriarchal residence in Tbilisi for “the souls of the warriors who were dedicated to their homeland and those who were executed for their true faith and homeland.”
PM Garibashvili likewise spoke of the battle as a symbol of the “fight for freedom, unity, and devotion for the homeland.”
In turn, President Salome Zuravishvili emphasized that St. David “planted the seed for those Christian and universal values that have brought us to this day.”
The Ministry of Defense held several events to mark the anniversary, including a reenactment of the battle and an award ceremony for military servicemen.
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