Urbnisi
Encyclopedia
Urbnisi is a village in Georgia
’s Shida Kartli
region, in the district of Kareli.
Situated on the Mtkvari river, it was an important city in ancient and early medieval Iberia
as Georgia was known to the Greeks
and Romans
. Archaeological studies have demonstrated that the place was inhabited in the 3rd millennium BC
. The settlement grew larger and, in the 4th century BC became a city with thriving commerce and culture. Ruins of a fortress, rich baths, pagan sanctuaries and even a Jewish
temple suggest the importance of the city. Burned structures and round catapult stones indicate the city may have been under a siege and subsequently sacked in c. 3rd century BC. The new era in Urbnisi’s life began with the conversion of Iberia to Christianity
. It now became a major center of Georgian Orthodox culture. From the 6th to 7th centuries, a strong system of fortifications was erected around the city that did not prevent, however, the Arab
commander Marwan
(caliph
from 744
to 750
) from capturing the city in the 730
s. Following the invasion, it declined to a small village. However, the Urbnisi monastery of St Stephen continued to function as a center of a Georgian Orthodox diocese.
The monastery is a 6th-7th-century three-nave basilica
which was rebuilt twice in the 10th and 17th centuries. Quite a simple and large church, it is based on twelve strong pillars for three naves. There are many inscriptions on the walls of the monastery which are thought to be the examples of the 6th-7th-century Georgian alphabet
.
Near the village is an 8th-9th-century domed church, Ruisi Cathedral of Divinity, which serves as a center of the Urbnisi-Ruisi eparchy
of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
Both Urbnisi Monastery and the Ruisi Cathedral are known for a major ecclesiastic council convened here in 1103-1104 by the Georgian king David the Builder to cope with problems within the church hierarchy.
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
’s Shida Kartli
Shida Kartli
Shida Kartli is a region in Georgia. It consists of the following districts: Gori, Kaspi, Kareli, Java, Khashuri.The northern part of the region, namely Java, and northern territories of Kareli and Gori, is controlled by the authorities of the self-proclaimed republic of South Ossetia since...
region, in the district of Kareli.
Situated on the Mtkvari river, it was an important city in ancient and early medieval Iberia
Caucasian Iberia
Iberia , also known as Iveria , was a name given by the ancient Greeks and Romans to the ancient Georgian kingdom of Kartli , corresponding roughly to the eastern and southern parts of the present day Georgia...
as Georgia was known to the Greeks
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
and Romans
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
. Archaeological studies have demonstrated that the place was inhabited in the 3rd millennium BC
3rd millennium BC
The 3rd millennium BC spans the Early to Middle Bronze Age.It represents a period of time in which imperialism, or the desire to conquer, grew to prominence, in the city states of the Middle East, but also throughout Eurasia, with Indo-European expansion to Anatolia, Europe and Central Asia. The...
. The settlement grew larger and, in the 4th century BC became a city with thriving commerce and culture. Ruins of a fortress, rich baths, pagan sanctuaries and even a Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
temple suggest the importance of the city. Burned structures and round catapult stones indicate the city may have been under a siege and subsequently sacked in c. 3rd century BC. The new era in Urbnisi’s life began with the conversion of Iberia to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. It now became a major center of Georgian Orthodox culture. From the 6th to 7th centuries, a strong system of fortifications was erected around the city that did not prevent, however, the Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
commander Marwan
Marwan II
Marwan ibn Muhammad ibn Marwan or Marwan II was an Umayyad caliph who ruled from 744 until 750 when he was killed. He was the last Umayyad ruler to rule from Damascus.In A.H. 114 Caliph Hisham appointed Marwan governor of Armenia and Azerbaijan. In A.H...
(caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
from 744
744
Year 744 was a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 744 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* February – Hildeprand succeeds...
to 750
750
Year 750 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 750 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* Gopala is proclaimed as the first ruler of...
) from capturing the city in the 730
730
Year 730 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 730 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Charles Martel defeats the last independent...
s. Following the invasion, it declined to a small village. However, the Urbnisi monastery of St Stephen continued to function as a center of a Georgian Orthodox diocese.
The monastery is a 6th-7th-century three-nave basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
which was rebuilt twice in the 10th and 17th centuries. Quite a simple and large church, it is based on twelve strong pillars for three naves. There are many inscriptions on the walls of the monastery which are thought to be the examples of the 6th-7th-century Georgian alphabet
Georgian alphabet
The Georgian alphabet is the writing system used to write the Georgian language and other Kartvelian languages , and occasionally other languages of the Caucasus such as Ossetic and Abkhaz during the 1940s...
.
Near the village is an 8th-9th-century domed church, Ruisi Cathedral of Divinity, which serves as a center of the Urbnisi-Ruisi eparchy
Eparchy
Eparchy is an anglicized Greek word , authentically Latinized as eparchia and loosely translating as 'rule over something,' like province, prefecture, or territory, to have the jurisdiction over, it has specific meanings both in politics, history and in the hierarchy of the Eastern Christian...
of the Georgian Orthodox Church.
Both Urbnisi Monastery and the Ruisi Cathedral are known for a major ecclesiastic council convened here in 1103-1104 by the Georgian king David the Builder to cope with problems within the church hierarchy.