Dapper Olfert

Olfert Dapper (b. January, 1636, Amsterdam – d. December 29, 1689, Amsterdam) was a Dutch physician, writer and geographer.

He traveled to many countries and published descriptions of his travels. The German translation of Dapper's Detailed Description of Asia, published in Nuremberg in 1681, is of interest. This work includes the description of Georgia.

It is accompanied by prints, maps (including a map of Samegrelo), schemes of the most important cities, the Georgian alphabet, which Dapper considered original, etc. Dapper characterised the regions of Georgia, borders, nature and history of the country, the customs and traditions of the population and their agricultural activities, language and script, religion, system of government, and more.

Dapper described Georgians as a well-mannered and friendly people, who were constantly fighting to protect their homeland and the Christian faith. He wrote that Georgians are distinguished by their good physique and appearance, and their women are the most beautiful creatures in Asia.

Dapper described Samegrelo and Kartli-Kakheti regions in particular, as well as neighboring countries – Circassia and others. Dapper noted that at the beginning of the 17^th century, relations between the Ottoman Empire and Iran became very tense — both wanted to dominate Kartli-Kakheti. Shah Abbas I invaded Kartli-Kakheti (1613). Dapper wrote about the Shah's cruelty, who ordered King Luarsab II to be killed in prison, had both sons of Teimuraz I castrated, and had his mother, Queen Ketevan, tortured to death for her devotion to Christian faith.

Dapper described the terrible picture that the Shah inflicted on Kakheti – a large part of the population, driven away from their native land, died on the way, the road to Iran was full of corpses of the elderly and children.

Dapper also mentioned the 1618 campaign of the Ottoman army in Iran.

 

Literature: დ ა ვ ი თ ა შ ვ ი ლ ი  ი., ოლფერტ დაპერის ცნობები საქართველოს შესახებ, «ცისკარი», 1972, №6; О р л о в с к а я  Н. К., Грузия в литературах Западной Европы XVII–XVIII вв., Тб., 1965.

 

N. Gioshvili