The Bishopric of Tbilisi
The Bishopric of Tbilisi was founded at the end of the 5th century, during the reign of Vakhtang I Gorgasali. Among the Georgian bishops present at the First Council of Dvin (506), “Sahak, Bishop of Tiflis” is mentioned. The bishop of Tbilisi held the title of archbishop from the beginning of the 16th century, and the title of metropolitan bishop from the end of the 17th century. The bishop of Tbilisi was also called the “ruler of the royal city”. The cathedral was the Sioni Cathedral of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary.
The Bishopric of Tbilisi included Tbilisi with its suburbs and the territory south of the city, up to the Ktsia River. All Orthodox Christians living in the Bishopric of Tbilisi were ecclesiastically subordinate to the bishop of Tbilisi. The exception was the royal family, for whom the patriarch personally provided religious services. The proximity to the king’s court and the patriarch greatly increased the authority of the bishop of Tbilisi. The periods of rise and fall of the Bishopric of Tbilisi, as an economic, agricultural and ecclesiastical center, coincide with the history of the city itself. During the periods of Muslim domination in Georgia, especially when Tbilisi was completely or partially occupied by the enemy, Christian churches played a decisive role in preserving its national identity.
In the Bishopric of Tbilisi, Georgian religious services, as well as cultural and educational activities never ceased. In the 18th century, the churches and their parishes included in the Bishopric of Tbilisi were greatly reduced due to constant attacks. In the 17th–18th centuries, the following patriarchs contributed to the construction of new churches and the restoration and renovation of old ones: Domentius III of Georgia (1660–1676); Nikoloz VII (1678–1688; 1692–1695); the Tbilisi archbishops: Joseph (16th century), Elise (1628–1659); and kings: Luarsab I, Rostom, his wife Mariam, and others.
From ancient times, the emergence of separate parish churches in the Bishopric of Tbilisi was facilitated by its geographical proximity to Mtskheta, and later by its transformation into a capital city. In the 18th century, up to 14 Orthodox parish churches functioned in Tbilisi (Tbilisi, Isani, Kala, Garetubani), including: Sioni Cathedral of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, Anchiskhati Basilica of St. Mary, Church of St. John the Baptist, St. Nicholas Church, Kaloubani St. George Church, Kashveti Church of St. George, Mtatsminda Monastery of St. David, and others. Among the churches operating in the villages bordering the city, the following are known: in the village of Vere – the Lurji Monastery and the Church of St. Eustathius; on Mount Makhata – the Church of St. Elias (Ilia), on Mount Tabor – the Church of Transfiguration; in Old Avlabari – the Church of the Court of Queen Darejan, St. George Church; In the village of Navtlughi – St. George Church (now St. Barbare Church, 19th century); in the village of Chugureti – Kviratskhoveli Church, St. Nicholas Church; in the village of Kukia – two churches; in the village of Didube – the Church of the Virgin Mary.
The Bishopric of Tbilisi achieved a kind of economic prosperity during the reigns of father and son – Teimuraz II and Erekle II.
After Georgia’s annexation by Russia, the Bishopric of Tbilisi was abolished (1811). The Tbilisi Sioni Cathedral became the cathedral of the Exarch of Georgia. The Exarch of Georgia was the Metropolitan of Mtskheta, Tbilisi and Kartli at the same time. After the restoration of the autocephaly of the Georgian Church (1917), the Bishopric of Tbilisi was also restored. Today, the Bishopric of Tbilisi and Patriarchal Cathedrals of Mtskheta are united, headed by the Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia with the title “Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, the Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi and Metropolitan Bishop of Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazia”. The cathedrals include: Svetitskhoveli Cathedral of Mtskheta and the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi.
B. Lominadze
