Gremi
Gremi is a historical city, one of the political, administrative and economic centers of the Kingdom of Kakheti in 1466–1616. It is located near the village of Gremi, on the right bank of the River Intsoba. It is assumed that the population on the territory of Gremi must have appeared in the Late Bronze Age. It was also inhabited in the 12th–14th centuries. After the disintegration of Georgia into kingdoms and principalities, Gremi became the capital of the Kingdom of Kakheti and an important cultural center. Manuscripts were reproduced here from the 15th century and the most famous include — the copy of The Georgian Chronicles made by Queen Anna (15th century), the collection Svinaksari (1535) prepared under the supervision of Queen Tinatin, and others. Literary and creative activity in Gremi revived from the end of the 16th century under the leadership of David I, Queen Ketevan, and later Teimuraz I.
The city occupied about 50 hectares. It has three main parts: 1. The Archangel Church Complex, which included the Archangel Church, a 3-story palace, a bell tower and farm buildings; 2. The district of the kings and nobles, which had two palaces, the so-called “Academy”, a building with a fountain, an octagonal tower, a bathhouse, etc.; 3. The trade district, the central part of which was a market and a hotel. The market was surrounded on all four sides by rows of stone-built shops, with a small courtyard in the middle. The shops had open balconies, most likely for displaying goods. Judging by the large amount of sediment preserved in the pipes of the bathhouse, it was used for a long time. Imported ceramics have a special place among the material obtained during the excavations (a large green glazed bowl decorated with Persian inscriptions, Chinese celadon samples, Persian imitations of Chinese celadon, Chinese porcelain bowls). The city had close trade relations with the leading centers of that time by well-developed trade routes.
Gremi was ravaged as a result of the campaign of Abbas I of Iran in 1614–1616. Constant attacks by Dagestan feudal lords also played a significant role in its downfall.
After the Telavi became the capital city of Kakheti, the abandoned Gremi turned into ruins. The domed Church of the Archangels, erected on a high hill to the east of the city, stands out among the architectural monuments. It was built (1565) with the help and supervision of King Levan of Kakheti. The painting of the church was completed in 1577. A portrait of the ktetor (founder) holding a model of the church in his hand is depicted on the western wall. The complex is surrounded by a fence, which has gun-ports in it and is reinforced with counterfort from the outside. Before the construction of the church, a palace-type tower stood on the hill, which was rebuilt in the 19th century and an arched bell tower was erected.
The Gremi Monastery was restored in 1999. In 2011, restoration work was carried out on the territory of the city.
Source: ვახუშტი, აღწერა სამეფოსა საქართველოსა, წგ.: ქართლის ცხოვრება, ს. ყაუხჩიშვილის გამოც., ტ. 4, თბ., 1973.
Literature: ზ ა ქ ა რ ა ი ა პ., ქართული ცენტრალურ- გუმბათოვანი არქიტექტურა, ტ. 1, 3, თბ., 1975–81; მ ა მ უ ლ ა შ ვ ი ლ ი ა., გრემის სარწყავი არხი, «საქართველოს სახელმწ. მუზეუმის მოამბე», 1941, ტ. 11 Β; მ ი ს ი ვ ე, კახეთის ძველი აბანოები, იქვე, 1947, ტ. 14 Β; შ ა ნ ი ძ ე ა., ფ უ თ უ რ ი ძ ე ვ., სამენოვანი წარწერა გრემში, «ენიმკის მოამბე», 1940, ტ. 5–6; ჭ ი ლ ა შ ვ ი ლ ი ლ., გ ი უ ნ ა შ ვ ი ლ ი ჯ., გრემში ნაპოვნი ჯამი სპარსული წარწერით, «აღმოსავლური ფილოლოგია », 1972, [ტ.] 2; Ч у б и н а ш в и л и Г. Н., Архитектура Kахетии, Тб., 1959.
J. Gvasalia
P. Zakaraia
L. Menabde
L. Chilashvili
