Georgian Inscription in Ani

Georgian inscription in Ani (1218) was the text of the sentence of the Catholicos of Georgia, Etifane, on the wall of the Georgian Orthodox Church of Ani.

It was discovered by N. Marr in 1910 during the archaeological excavations of Ani. The sentence was passed on due to a dispute between the Orthodox population and priests of Ani. The inscription tells us that the dispute was caused by the increase in the price of church services (wedding, baptism, funeral) for the Orthodox Georgian and Armenian parishioners by the clergy of Ani. Sometimes dissatisfied parishioners stopped attending mass and prayers. Georgian Catholicos Etifane tried to resolve the strained relationship. He was forced to condemn the behavior of the priests and reduce the amount of church donations. Etifane's sentence was signed by the Armenian Bishop Grigol and the Emir of the city Vahram.

The Georgian inscription in Ani is an important source about socio-economic reality of that time. The inscription reveals that the dyophysite churches of the non-Georgian territories included in the state of Georgia were hierarchically dependent on the Catholicos of Kartli.

Literature: ჯავახიშვილი ივ., სოციალური ბრძოლის ისტორია საქართველოში IX – XIII სს-ში, წგ.: ქართველი ერის ისტორია, წგ. 3, თბ., 1966; Дондуа В. Д., К социально-экономической жизни средневековой Грузии по Анийской надписи (1218) Епифания, კრ.: Академия наук СССР академику Н. Я. Марру, М. – Л., 1935; Марр Н. Я., Надпись Епифания, католикоса Грузии, «Известия Академии наук», 1910, № 117.