Rusudan of Georgia, Empress of Trebizond [SEP] spouse
[{"answer": "Manuel I of Trebizond", "provenance": [{"wikipedia_id": "18132778", "title": "Rusudan of Georgia, Empress of Trebizond", "start_paragraph_id": 1, "start_character": 0, "end_paragraph_id": 1, "end_character": 118, "bleu_score": 0.8656030552541708, "meta": {}, "section": "Section::::Abstract."}]}]
Rusudan of Georgia, Empress of Trebizond


Rusudan of Georgia, Empress of Trebizond () was a consort of Manuel I of Trebizond, and the mother of Empress Theodora. Very little is known for certain about her. Rusudan is commonly considered a member of the Bagrationi dynasty. Szabolcs de Vajay has argued that Rusudan was probably an illegitimate daughter of Giorgi IV Lasha. However, Michel Kuršanskis argues that Rusudan could have been no more than a commoner and mistress of Emperor Manuel. First, Kuršanskis notes that it was not Georgian custom to name their children after their parents
1793445
Rusudan of Georgia, Empress of Trebizond


daughter of lord Manuel the Grand Komnenos by Russadan from Iberia." Drawing on Georgian sources, Kuršanskis suggests that Rusudan died in 1247. Manuel had at least two daughters whose mother is not mentioned, and they could be children by Rusudan. One of the daughters married Demetre II of Georgia, the other married one of his Didebul. Though mentioned in modern genealogies as a name, "Didebul" was actually a title. According to "The Bagrationi (Bagration) Dynasty" by Christopher Buyers, the Didebul were "non
1793447
Rusudan of Georgia, Empress of Trebizond


. "That alone should be enough to indicate that Rusudan couldn't be a daughter of the homonymous Queen," he writes. He points out that in the chronicle of Michael Panaretos she is the only one of the three women who gave him children who is not referred to as "kyra", or "lady". Lastly, Rusudan is described simply as "from Iberia" and nothing is said about her ancestry. Rusudan is mentioned briefly in the chronicle of Michael Panaretos. "Lady Theodora Komnene, the first
1793446
Theodora of Trebizond


Theodora Megale Komnene (), (before 1253– after 1285), was Empress of Trebizond from 1284 to 1285. All Michael Panaretos tells us about her is that she was a daughter of Emperor Manuel I of Trebizond by Rusudan, a Georgian princess. Although some consider her Manuel's second wife, Michel Kuršanskis has argued that Rusudan may have been simply his mistress. Kuršanskis also notes that the evidence is insufficient to determine if Theodora was identical with one of the princesses of Trebizond mentioned in the Chronicle of Bishop Stephanos who
20654227
Ripsime (wife of Vakhtang III)


Ripsime () was the wife of Vakhtang III of Georgia (r. 1302–1308). The 18th-century "Georgian Chronicle" mentions her as a niece of Chabour. Vakhtang was a son of Demetre II of Georgia (r. 1270–1289). His mother was reportedly daughter to an Emperor of Trebizond, usually identified with Manuel I of Trebizond (r. 1238–1263) for chronological reasons. His maternal grandmother was probably one of the three known wives of Manuel: Anna Xylaloe, Rusudan of Georgia and Irene Syrikaina. Vakhtang was appointed king
8787209
Manuel Komnenos (son of Andronikos I)


Manuel Komnenos (Greek: Μανουήλ Κομνηνός, "Manouēl Komnēnos"; 1145–1185?) was the eldest son of Byzantine Emperor Andronikos Komnenos (r. 1183–1185) by his first wife, whose name is not recorded. Perhaps around 1180 Manuel married Rusudan of Georgia, daughter of King George III. He thus became brother-in-law of Queen Tamar of Georgia. Manuel and Rusudan had two sons, Alexios and David Komnenos, who were to be the joint founders of the Empire of Trebizond. Alexios was probably born in 1182
21819866
Andronikos I of Trebizond


this reign. The Mongols occupied a large part of Georgia. Iberia and Lazica, which had been subject to Trebizond, whose eastern frontier had been Soteropolis, separated themselves from the empire and formed an independent kingdom of Imereti under David VI Narin, son of the Georgian Queen Rusudan. Andronikos is the earliest Emperor of Trebizond whose coins have survived. A number of bronze trachea (also called scyphates) have been identified as having been struck during his reign. These bear the image of the Virgin Mary seated on a throne and
6506116
Empire of Trebizond


believe that the new state was subject to Georgia, at least in the first years of its existence, at the beginning of the 13th century. Both men were the grandsons of the last Komnenian Byzantine emperor, Andronikos I Komnenos, by his son Manuel Komnenos and Rusudan, daughter of George III of Georgia. Andronikos I had been deposed by Isaac II Angelos, while Manuel was blinded (a traditional Byzantine punishment for treason) and died not long after. Alexios and his brother, David, ended up at the court of
6524510
David VI of Georgia


, the Georgians occupied several provinces and helped John’s half-sister Theodora, daughter of Manuel I of Trebizond by his Georgian wife, Rusudan, seize the throne in 1285, only to be put suddenly to flight. He died at Kutaisi in 1293. David was succeeded by his elder son, Constantine I. David is buried within the chapel ("eukterion") of St. Andrew at the Cathedral of Nativity of the Theotokos of Gelati, east of the southern entrance to the church. He was married to Tamar, daughter
20828404
Family of Demetrius II of Georgia


the medieval sources. She might have been a daughter of the emperor Manuel I of Trebizond by his wife Irene Syrikaina, and was probably called Theodora or Irene. In contrast to Demetrius' other wives, she is invariably referred to by the medieval chronicler as "the queen", indicating that she enjoyed the status of the king's principal consort. By this woman, Demetrius had four sons, David VIII, Vakhtang III, Lasha, and Manuel, and a daughter named Rusudan. After Demetrius' demise, the Ilkhan
22013130
Bagrationi, wife of John IV of Trebizond


Bagrationi (c. 1411/2 – before 1438) was the first Empress consort of John IV of Trebizond. Her name is unknown. She was a daughter of King Alexander I of Georgia and his first wife Dulandukht, the daughter of Beshken II Orbeliani. Dulandukht had died or was repudiated before 1415, when Alexander married his second wife, the heiress of Imereti, daughter of Alexander I of Imereti. In about 1426, she married John IV of Trebizond, the son of Emperor Alexios IV of Trebizond and Theodora Kantakouzene, who had
6248910
List of Roman and Byzantine Empresses


any sort of Roman titles and the claimants that clearly made the most point by using the word "Roman" in their title, the Holy Roman Empresses and the Queens of the Romans, ceased their claim upon the dissolution the empire in 1806. Currently the consorts of five of these states are pretenders in their own countries, themselves, and the current Queen of Spain claims no Roman titles. The status of the current pretenders to the Byzantine successor states of Trebizond, Epirus, and Nicaea are unclear much less their spouses;
4345295
Alexios I of Trebizond


was Rusudan a little-known sister of Tamar, a theory Vasiliev endorsed. Cyril Toumanoff argued that their grandfather Andronikos, while in Georgia, had married an unnamed sister of king George III. More recently Michel Kuršanskis has argued against Toumanoff's theory, producing evidence that Alexios' mother and/or grandmother were daughters of the houses of Palaiologos or Doukas, yet failing to offer an explanation why Panaretos describes Tamar as Alexios' paternal aunt. Despite the research of Vasiliev, Toumanoff, Kuršanskis and others, Alexios' life is a blank
6693221
Gulkhan-Eudokia of Georgia


. The revised betrothal was negotiated while she was still residing in Iberia: she left her father's kingdom and met the imperial party at Macragialos on 15 August 1377; together they returned to Trebizond on Sunday, 30 August. On 5 September Gulkhan was crowned Empress, taking the royal name of Eudokia, and she was married to Manuel the next day by the Metropolitan of Trebizond, Theodosius; the nuptial festivities lasted a week. Their only known son would reign as Alexios IV of Trebizond. On 20 March 1390, Alexios
3443581
Theodora Kantakouzene (wife of Alexios IV of Trebizond)


Theodora Kantakouzene Megale Komnene (died 12 November 1426) was the Empress consort of Alexios IV of Trebizond. Said to be very beautiful, according to the chronicle of Laonikos Chalkokondyles she was accused by her son, John Megas Komnenos, of having an affair with the "protovestiarios" of the court of Trebizond; however, other accounts describe her as a faithful and loving wife, who kept the peace between Alexios and his sons. In either case, during her lifetime their son John fled to Georgia and did not return until
3558005
Rusudan, daughter of George III of Georgia


Rusudan (; ) was the younger daughter of King George III of Georgia and of his wife, Burdukhan (Gurandukht). Her elder sister was the famous Queen Tamar, who succeeded their father as ruler of Georgia. Born about 1158/1160, Rusudan was married, possibly in 1180, to Manuel Komnenos (born 1145), the eldest son of Andronikos I, who in turn was to be Byzantine Emperor from 1183 to 1185. Manuel and Rusudan had two sons, Alexios, probably born in 1182, and David, born around
142163
John II of Trebizond


to his reign. The first was from his half-brother George, who returned to Trebizond and made an unsuccessful attempt to seize the throne. Next was his half-sister Theodora, daughter of Manuel I by his Georgian wife, Rusudan, who apparently deposed him in 1284 to rule for a short time before making a "sudden flight" (in Michael Panaretos' words) from Trebizond; Michel Kuršanskis suggests he may have taken refuge in Tripolis. John was restored to the throne no later than 1285. Panaretos,
6999587
Rusudan of Georgia


Rusudan () (c. 1194–1245), a member of the Bagrationi dynasty, ruled as Queen Regnant of Georgia in 1223–1245. Daughter of Queen Tamar of Georgia by David Soslan, she succeeded her brother George IV of Georgia on January 18, 1223. George’s untimely death marked the beginning of the end of the Georgian Golden Age. Rusudan was unable to preserve whatever was gained by her mother and brother. She was known as a beautiful woman devoted to pleasure, whose hand was sought by her Muslim neighbors. In Muslim
11301173
Rusudan Petviashvili


think so. In all these works the struggle between good and evil is depicted, where good always wins". In 1981, Saint-Jore (France) hosted a scientific conference to explain the phenomenon of painting of Rusudan Petviashvili. Since 2005, Rusudan is taking a post of advisor at the International Charitable Foundation of the Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia named Revival and development of spirituality, culture and science, established by the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II. All artworks created by Rusudan Petviashvili in one technique:
8274159
Avag Zakarian


invasion of Georgia Queen Rusudan had to evacuate Tbilisi for Kutaisi, leaving eastern Georgia in the hands of atabeg Avag Mkhargrdzeli and Kakhetian lord, Egarslan Bakurtsikheli, who made peace with the Mongols and agreed to pay them tribute. Avag Mkhargrdzeli, who was raised by Queen Rusudan from the rank of spasalar to amirspasalar (Lord High Constable), and then to that of atabeg (tutor) arranged the submission of Queen Rusudan to the Mongols in 1243, and Georgia officially acknowledged the Great Khan as its overlord. During this period of
1267170
Georgian–Mongolian treaty of 1239


The Treaty of 1239 was an agreement between Kingdom of Georgia and the Mongol Empire. It was signed by Georgian Queen Rusudan and the Batu Khan. In 1235–1236, Mongol forces, unlike their first raid in 1221, appeared with the sole purpose of conquest and occupation of Kingdom of Georgia and easily overran the already devastated kingdom. Queen Rusudan fled to the security of western Georgia, while the nobles secluded themselves in their fortresses. Finally, in 1239, on Ivane I Jaqeli’s advice, Rusudan sent four envoys (her amirspasalar
4332049
Anna Philanthropene


, was Maria Radoslava. Gulkhan-Eudokia of Georgia, Manuel's first wife and Empress consort of Trebizond died 2 May 1395. On 4 September of that year, Eudokia, Manuel's sister and the widow of Tadjeddin Pasha of Sinop and Emir of Limnia, arrived from Constantinople at Kordyle with Anna Philanthropene and Theodora Kantakouzene; these women had come to wed, respectively Manuel III and her nephew Alexios. The combined wedding took place the following day in Trebizond. The ambassador to Tamerlane, Ruy Gonzáles de Clavijo met Manuel
3443963
Gulkhan-Eudokia of Georgia


Gulkhan-Eudokia () (died 2 May 1395) was the first Empress consort of Manuel III of Trebizond. Her original name was Gulkhan Khatun; Eudokia was her Christian baptismal name. Gulkhan was a daughter of David IX of Georgia and his wife Sindukhtar Jaqeli. She was also a sister of Bagrat V of Georgia. Her paternal grandfather was George V of Georgia. The identity of his wife is not known. "The Georgian Chronicles" of the 18th century reports him marrying a daughter of "the Greek Emperor,
3443577
Rusudan of Georgia


sources, such as Ata-Malik Juvayni, Rusudan was known as Qiz-Malik, from the Turkish "qiz", "maiden", and the Arabic "malik", "king". In the autumn of 1225, Georgia was attacked by the Khwarezm shah Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu, pursued by the Mongols. The Georgians suffered bitter defeat at the Battle of Garni, and the royal court with Queen Rusudan moved to Kutaisi, when the Georgian capital Tbilisi was besieged by the Khwarezmians. A year later Jelal
11301174
Byzantine–Georgian wars


support within the Trapezuntine aristocracy, which opposed the rapprochement of Emperor John II of Trebizond (reigned 1280–1297) with the Palaiologan Byzantine court at Constantinople. Though King David failed to take the city, the Georgians occupied several provinces, including Greater Lazia. John left for Trebizond on 25 April 1282 with his new wife, Eudokia Palaiologina. Not long after John arrived home, he was confronted by his half-sister Theodora, daughter of Manuel I by his Georgian wife, Rusudan, who apparently deposed him in 1284 to rule for
15850238
Maria of Trebizond


Maria Megale Komnene (; died 17 December 1439), known as Maria of Trebizond (), was a Byzantine Empress consort by marriage to the Byzantine emperor John VIII Palaiologos (r. 1425–1448). She was the last empress consort of the Byzantine Empire. She was one of three daughters of Alexios IV of Trebizond and Theodora Kantakouzene. In September, 1427, Maria married John VIII Palaiologos in Constantinople, having arrived by ship from Trebizond on the last day of August; the connection had been negotiated through ambassadors sent from Constantinople the
10322139
Family of Demetrius II of Georgia


statesman Buqa. Rusudan appears to have survived the demise of Buqa and his family in 1289, later remarrying Taqa, a Georgian nobleman of the house of Panaskerteli. Rusudan and Taqa are known as benefactors of the Monastery of the Cross in Jerusalem. Furthermore, Rusudan is identified with the "queen of queens Rusudan" mentioned, along with the late Taqa, in an inscription from the Gudarekhi monastery. Demetrius' second wife was the Mongol woman Solghar, by whom he had two sons, Baidu and Yadgar, and a daughter
22013133
Anna of Trebizond


Anna Anachoutlou (died 1342) was Empress of Trebizond from July 17, 1341, to September 4, 1342. Anna was the elder daughter of Emperor Alexios II of Trebizond and his Georgian wife, Djiadjak Jaqeli. Anna's only notable act, before becoming empress, was to endow a small monastery in Jerusalem dedicated to St. Euthymios. This monastery is documented in a single document, the "Testament" of a monk Gerasimos, dated November 18, 1344. When she first made this endowment is not known, but Anna
21724639
Rusudan of Georgia


alliance with the neighbouring Seljuk rulers of Rüm and Ahlat, but the Georgians were routed by the Khwarezmians at Battle of Bolnisi, before the allies could arrive (1228). The Khwarezmians were superseded by the Mongols. They advanced into Georgia in 1235. Devastated and plundered by Jelal ad-Din’s incursions, Georgia surrendered without any serious resistance. By 1240 all the country was under the Mongol yoke. Forced to accept the sovereignty of the Mongol Khan in 1242, Rusudan had to pay an annual tribute of 50,000 gold pieces
11301176
Ghias ad-Din


Ghias ad-din () was a member of the Seljuq dynasty of Rum and husband of Queen Rusudan of Georgia from 1223 to 1226. A son of the emir of Erzurum, he converted to Christianity on his father's order so as he could marry the queen of Georgia. Ghias ad-din's position at the Georgian court was weak and the spousal relationship was strained due to Rusudan's unfaithfulness. He shifted back and forth across the religious and political divide during the Khwarezmid invasion of Georgia in 1226. Around the
22053276
Rusudan, daughter of Demetrius I of Georgia


Rusudan () was a 12th-13th-century Georgian princess of the Bagrationi royal family. She was a daughter of King Demetrius I of Georgia, sister of the kings David V and George III, and a paternal aunt of the famous Queen Tamar of Georgia. Before 1152 she married sultan Masud Temirek, but the marriage only lasted a few years before his death 2 October 1152. She later married Hiyas ad-Din Sanjar Shah, a Seljuq sultan. When her second husband died, she returned to Georgia and ruled over it
16146005
Rusudan of Georgia


and support the Mongols with a Georgian army. Fearing that her nephew David VII of Georgia would aspire to the throne, Rusudan held him prisoner at the court of her son-in-law, the sultan Kaykhusraw II, and sent her son David VI of Georgia to the Mongol court to get his official recognition as heir apparent. She died in 1245, still waiting for her son to return. She married in 1224 to the Seljuk prince Ghias ad-Din, a grandson of Kilij Arslan II who converted to Christianity
11301177
Rusudan Gotsiridze


Rusudan Gotsiridze ( born 8 February 1975, Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, Soviet Union) is a bishop of the Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia and a women's rights activist. She was the first female Baptist bishop in Georgia. She has advocated against gender violence and for women's equality, and created interfaith dialogues to support religious minorities. She was also one of the first members of the religious community in Georgia to publicly support the rights of the LGBT community. She also spoke at the 6th United Nations Forum on Minority Issues
18813805
David VI of Georgia


David VI Narin () (also called "the Clever") (1225–1293), from the Bagrationi dynasty, was king of Georgia in 1245–1293. From 1259 to 1293, he ruled the kingdom of Imereti under the name David I as a vassal state of Georgia. The son of Queen Rusudan by her husband, Ghias ad-din, David was crowned at Kutaisi, as joint sovereign by his mother in 1230. Fearing that her nephew David VII Ulu would claim the throne at her death, Rusudan held the latter
20828399
Tsotne Dadiani


are: Tsotne Dadiani's career unfolded against the background of decline of Georgia as a major regional power in the face of the Khwarazmian and Mongol invasions. Around 1228, Tsotne was among the commanders of a large army summoned by Queen Regnant Rusudan to free Georgia from the Khwarazmian troops of Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu. In the ensuing battle at Bolnisi, en route to Tbilisi, the Georgian army was defeated and Tbilisi once again fell to Jalal ad-Din. After Rusudan's death, the throne of Georgia lay disputed in
21564382
Kingdom of Georgia


the Mongol Khan in 1242, Rusudan had to pay an annual tribute of 50,000 gold pieces and support the Mongols with a Georgian army. Fearing that her nephew David VII of Georgia would aspire to the throne, Rusudan held him prisoner at the court of her son-in-law, the sultan Kaykhusraw II, and sent her son David VI of Georgia to the Mongol court to get his official recognition as heir apparent. She died in 1245, still waiting for her son to return. The Mongols created the "Vilayet
2981443
Mongol invasions of Georgia


devastated, and Iwane had to finally, with the consent of Queen Rusudan, submit to the invaders in 1238. The Mongol armies chose not to cross the Likhi Range in pursuit of the Georgian queen, leaving western Georgia relatively spared of the rampages. Rusudan attempted to gain support from Pope Gregory IX, but without any success. Atabek Avag arranged her submission in 1243, and Georgia officially acknowledged the Great Khan as its overlord. The country was forced to pay an annual tribute of 50,000 gold pieces and support the Mongols with
430562
Theodora Kantakouzene (wife of Alexios IV of Trebizond)


member of the imperial dynasty of Trebizond and a "protovestiarios", namely Manuel III, the father-in-law of Theodora. This scandal is reported by the Spanish traveller Ruy Gonzáles de Clavijo, who visited Trebizond in 1404 not long after the event. He adds that this scandalous relationship induced the young Alexios IV, Theodora's husband, to rebel against his father Manuel. Manuel III died on 5 March 1417. Alexios IV succeeded him with Theodora as his Empress consort. She remained Empress for nearly a decade to
3558010
Georgian Golden Age


vassals, forcing Queen Rusudan to flee to the west, leaving eastern Georgia in the hands of noblemen who eventually made peace with the Mongols and agreed to pay tribute; those who resisted were subject to complete annihilation. The Mongol armies chose not to cross the natural barrier of Likhi Range in pursuit of the Georgian Queen, sparing western Georgia of the widespread rampages. Later, Rusudan attempted to gain support from Pope Gregory IX, but without any success. In 1243, Georgia was finally forced to acknowledge the Great Khan as its
13326856
Rusudan Petviashvili


largest handwritten Bible in the Old Georgian language. Rusudan was the head of the artists' group, who was creating the miniatures for the Gospel of Matthew for almost three years. Today, one hundred kilos Bible, made on parchment of the calfskin, is exhibited at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Tbilisi. The artworks of Rusudan Petviashvili can be seen at the National Museum of Art (Art Museum of Georgia) (Tbilisi), the National Museum of Adjara (Batumi) and the Museum of Arts (Kutaisi)
8274157
Ghias ad-Din


in Georgia. According to the Muslim sources, Rusudan married a son of the emir of Erzurum . The anonymous 14th-century "Chronicle of a Hundred Years", part of the Georgian Chronicles, reports that the young Seljuq prince had been held at the Georgian court as a hostage in order to ensure the loyalty of Erzurum. Rusudan liked him and took him as a husband. The contemporary Arab scholar Abd al-Latif al-Baghdadi also confirms that it was Rusudan who opted for the Seljuq prince, but Ali ibn
22053279
Vahram Gageli


soon after. He was succeeded by his sister Rusudan in 1223, which exercised the authority through the commanders Ivane and his son Avag, Shanshe, son of Zakaria, Vahram Gageli and others. During the second Mongol invasion, Queen Rusudan and Vahram Gageli fled to western Georgia; the population of Shamkor was forbidden to resist, by Vahram himself. By 1240 all the country was under the Mongol yoke. Rusudan was forced to accept the sovereignty of the Mongol Khan in 1242. Fearing that his hephew David VII "Ulu"
4609790
Rusudan Petviashvili


Rusudan Petviashvili (; (born 25 January 1968), Tbilisi, Georgia) – Georgian artist, graphic artist. Creates paintings using unique technique: total image is performed in one-touch. Petviashvili's works and lives in Tbilisi, few months a year she works in Berlin, Geneva and Paris where she has a studio. Rusudan Petviashvili was born in Tbilisi 25 January 1968 in family of artists. Her father — a sculptor artist, mother — a poet and dramaturgist. The talent of the artist appeared in early childhood.
8274151
Ghias ad-Din


a son, David. Tamar married her cousin, Kaykhusraw II, sultan of Rum, and became better known by her sobriquet Gürcü Hatun. David became the king of Georgia after Rusudan's death in 1245 and the forefather of the first dynasty of the Kingdom of Imereti in western Georgia. In 1226, when Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu, the shah of the Khwarezmid Empire, conquered the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, putting Queen Rusudan into flight to her western dominions, Ghias ad-Din reconverted to Islam and, according to
22053283
Kingdom of Georgia


Mongols Jebe and Subutai destroyed the entire Georgian army in two successive battles, in 1221–1222, most notably the Battle of Khunan. Georgians suffered heavy losses in this war and the King George IV, himself was severely wounded. The Kingdom of Georgia itself was torn by internal dissent and was unprepared for such an ordeal. The struggle between the nobility and the crown increased. In 1222, King George appointed his sister Rusudan as a co-regent and died later that year. Queen Rusudan ( 1223–1245) proved a less capable ruler
2981440
Rusudan Glurjidze


Rusudan Glurjidze (born 21 July 1972, Tbilisi) is a Georgian film director, screenwriter, and producer. Rusudan Glurjidze was born in 21 July 1972, in Tbilisi, Georgia. She graduated in French Language and Literature from the Tbilisi State University and from 1990 to 1996 studied Film Directing and Screenwriting at Giorgi Shengelaia’s class at the Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film University. After 1996, Glurjidze worked in advertising and at the Georgian Public Broadcaster, making musical and commercial clips. Since 2007, she has been working as a
12926766
Rusudan Petviashvili


the age of 14 Rusudan has presented her artworks in various cities of France, including Paris. In March 1987, Margaret Thatcher's had an official visit to the USSR for the first time within 12 years. The head of the British government expressed a desire to see other cities of the Union apart from Moscow, having chosen Tbilisi. In Georgia the politician visited the National Museum of Art, held negotiations with the government, took a walk through the old town and met Rusudan Petviashvili, who presented to Thatcher one of her
8274155
Georgian Shirvan


Battle of Khunan. Georgians suffered heavy losses in this war and King George IV himself was severely wounded. George IV barely recovered from his wound when he traveled to celebrate his sister Rusudan’s wedding to Gushtasb I in 1223, but he died of complications of his injury at Bagavan. Rusudan returned to Georgia and succeeded her brother on January 18, 1223. First Mongol offensive, which would prove the ruin of Georgia, was preceded by the devastating conflict with Khwarazm ruler Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu, who was defeated by the
4332645
Anna Xylaloe


the lord Andronikos Komnenos, succeeded to the throne and reigned for three years. And he died in 6774 [AD 1266]." She is the only one of Manuel's three wives Panaretos gives the title of "Empress". Anna is assumed to have been the first of three wives of Manuel, married to him c. 1235. Her only known son, Andronikos II of Trebizond, preceded his half-siblings George, Emperor of Trebizond, John II of Trebizond and Theodora of Trebizond on the throne. For this
1552962
Anna of Trebizond


the walls of Trebizond on July 17, 1341, she was admitted without resistance and acclaimed empress, while Irene was deposed. Three weeks later three Byzantine galleys arrived at Trebizond with troops under the leaders of the "Scholarioi" faction, Niketas Scholares and Gregory Meitzomates. With them came Anna's uncle Michael, who was the husband chosen for the now deposed Irene by the regents of her half-brother John V Palaiologos. The Metropolitan Akakios and some of the nobility seemed to accept Michael as the legitimate ruler of Trebizond.
21724641
List of consorts of the Byzantine successor states


the other two Byzantine successor states, the Empire of Nicaea and the Despotate of Epirus, initially claimed the traditional Byzantine title of "Empress consort the Romans". However, after reaching an agreement with the restored Byzantine Empire in 1282, the official title of the consorts of Trebizond was changed to "Empress consort of the entire East, of the Iberians and the Perateia" and remained such until the Empire's end in 1461. The state is sometimes called the Komnenian or Megalokomnenian empire from its ruling dynasty. Trebizond had three
19461051
Trapezuntine Civil War


a body of chosen troops was enrolled, for an attack on the government of the empress Anna. They reached Trebizond in early September 1342 and after fierce street battles the invaders forced their way into the fortress. Empress Anna was taken prisoner in the imperial palace and, to guard against the possibility of a counter-coup, she was immediately strangled. John Grand Komnenos arrived at Trebizond on September 4, 1342, and was crowned emperor in the church of Theotokos Chrysokephalos on the same day. The ascension of John III to
3191005
Gulkhan-Eudokia of Georgia


the imperial palace and subsequently died from his injuries. According to Michael Panaretos, only his mother and the Empress mother took part in the funeral procession, and the betrothal was transferred to Manuel III of Trebizond, whom Panaretos describes as the "younger, proper and legitimate" son of the Emperor. Details like these have led historians to suspect more to the incident. The "" (1978) by Detlev Schwennicke reports him killed by being thrown out of a tower. Panaretos sets forth Gulkhan's chronology in the marriage process
3443580
Helena Kantakouzene, Empress of Trebizond


, which has been interpreted as a king of Georgia (and either George VIII or Constantine II), or "Guria Bey", ruler of Guria. Anna's fate is less clear. The historian Laonikos Chalkokondyles contradicts Spandounes, writing that after being "summoned to his bedchamber", Anna was married to Zagan Pasha; however, when he learned Zagan attempted to force her to become a Muslim, Mehmet separated them. A local tradition connects Anna to a village south of Trabizon called "Lady Village", where in
6556673
David of Trebizond


of Galata, where he was known locally as "the Son of the Bey" and after whom the district of Beyoğlu was named. Spandounes also writes that the widowed Empress Helena Kantakouzene was heavily fined by the Sultan for burying her husband and her sons and spent the rest of her life in poverty. Her youngest son, George, was raised as a Moslem, but when he was later allowed to visit Uzun Hassan George fled his court to his sister in Georgia, where he reverted to Christianity and married a Georgian princess
856795
George Palaiologos Kantakouzenos


George Palaiologos Kantakouzenos (; ca. 1390 – 1456/59) was a Byzantine aristocrat, a member of the Kantakouzenos family, and adventurer. He is also known by the Turkish nickname Sachatai, which he earned in the service of the Despot Constantine early in his military career. George Palaiologos Kantakouzenos was likely the son of Theodore Palaiologos Kantakouzenos. Among his siblings were the Despotess of Serbia Irene Kantakouzene, the Empress of Trebizond Helena, and the unnamed wife of King George VIII of Georgia. He was also a cousin of the last two
9826387
Lazia (Pontus)


troops sent by the Georgian king George V, arrived at the walls of Trebizond on July 17, 1341 she was admitted without resistance and acclaimed empress. The nobles of the Lazian faction now became the sole possessors of political power, and used the name of the empress Anna to govern the empire by an association of powerful chiefs. Mainly rural areas of Trebizond Empire appear to have been predominantly Laz in ethnic composition, the Laz monopolizing its coastal shipping and even transporting Trebizontine troops in their small craft. In the tenth century the
21170477
Helena Kantakouzene, Empress of Trebizond


Helena Kantakouzene (died 1463) was the second wife of David of Trebizond, the last Emperor of Trebizond. Recent research has led to doubts regarding her existance. Donald Nicol has argued that Helena was the sister of George Palaiologos Kantakouzenos, and thus the granddaughter of Matthew Kantakouzenos and possibly the daughter of Theodore Kantakouzenos. Theodore Spandounes reports that George visited her in Trebizond after 1437. It is unclear which of David's children were also hers; his five children—three boys and two daughters—have been attributed variously to Helena
6556671
Alexios IV of Trebizond


IV, the courtly title of "despotes" in 1417. Despite this, relations deteriorated between father and son, and in 1426 John murdered Alexios' Treasurer, alleging an affair between him and the Empress Theodora Kantakouzene. He also attempted to kill his parents but the nobles intervened and prevented him, and John fled to Georgia. When Alexios IV's wife Theodora died in 1426, he was so distraught that Bessarion wrote him no less than three , which help to shed some light on this otherwise dark period lacking in sources
13189712
Irene of Trebizond


much protest from the Patriarch of Constantinople, John XIV Kalekas. Their marriage only lasted about nine months before he died after a short illness; Miller writes again, "It was whispered that the discarded Empress had murdered him privily, and her conduct lent some colour to the suspicion, for she was evidently prepared to profit by his demise." Irene Palaiologina, the so-called "discarded Empress", and her supporters seized power immediately and sent Irene of Trebizond with her two young sons, Alexios and John, off
17891259
List of consorts of the Byzantine successor states


reigning empresses, Theodora of Trebizond (1284–1285), Irene Palaiologina (1340–1341), and Anna of Trebizond (1341–1342). The Byzantine Empire fell in 1453. Three pretenders from the dynasty followed. The last Palaiologan pretender, Andreas Palaiologos, sold his right to the imperial succession to Charles VIII of France, but he also willed the imperial titles to Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castille, and so in a sense either the French Spanish queens have been the titular Empress of the Eastern Roman Empire since the 15th
19461052
Constantine Doranites


Constantine Doranites (), was a Trapezuntine aristocrat and military leader in the Empire of Trebizond. A prominent member of the Doranites aristocratic family from Trebizond, Constantine Doranites’ activity should be viewed within the context of the civil strife that disrupted the Empire of Trebizond in the 14th century. In 1340–41 Constantine took part in the civil war under the leadership of Sebastos Tzaniches the "megas stratopedarch", who was opposed to Empress Irene Palaiologina, which ended with the defeat of the Megas Stratopedarch. His actions after this defeat are not
16944484
Michael of Trebizond


telling his uncle. Nicol observes that "it would be quite in keeping with the elaborate dynastic and marital schemes of Andronikos II that, having failed to marry off the daughter of one of his ministers to the Emperor of Trebizond, he should encourage or arrange the marriage of the daughter of his Grand Logothete to that Emperor's brother." She was most likely dead by 1341, for that year Michael Megas Komnenos was invited to return to Trebizond and marry the reigning Empress, Irene Palaiologina, widow of his nephew Basil of
21770298
Empire of Trebizond


to the events of 1204. The empire traces its foundation to April 1204, when Alexios Komnenos and his brother David took advantage of the preoccupation of the central Byzantine government with the encampment of the soldiers of the Fourth Crusade outside their walls (June 1203 – mid-April 1204) and seized the city of Trebizond and the surrounding province of Chaldia with troops provided by their relative, Tamar of Georgia. Henceforth, the links between Trebizond and Georgia remained close, but their nature and extent have been disputed. However some scholars
6524509
Empress Qian


City. When her spouse's only son, the future Chenghua Emperor, was deposed as heir apparent in 1452, he was sent to live with Empress Qian in conditions of physical hardship. In 1457, a coup-d'etat put her spouse back on the imperial thrown as the Tianshun Emperor, reinstating Empress Qian as the empress consort. Empress Qian had no children, and when the Zhengtong Emperor died in 1464, he was succeeded by the Chenghua Emperor. She became involved in a conflict with Empress Xiaosu, the biological mother
2361579
Rusudan Glurjidze


producer and art director of "Cinetech Film Production Company", and worked as 1st Assistant Director on Giorgi Shengelaia’s comedy "The Train Went On and On" (მოდიოდა მატარებელი). Directed by Rusudan Glurjidze, the feature film "The House of Others" is a co-production between Georgia, Russia, Spain and Croatia. The story is set in the 1990s, after a civil war, when two families on the winning side are relocated to the hastily vacated houses of the defeated. However, they don’t
12926767
Basil of Trebizond


that they were actually honoring the legitimate empress in their services since they were honoring an Irene. The uneasy situation at the capital was exploited by the Turkmen Sheikh Hassan, who attacked Trebizond 5 July 1335. The fighting centered at the palisade of Saint Kerykios and on Mount Minthrion, but a providential rainstorm allowed the Trapezuntines to rout the attackers. Basil died 6 April 1340, apparently poisoned by his legitimate wife Irene Palaiologina, who promptly seized the throne. The children of Basil and his second wife, Irene of Trebizond, were
21484208
Irene Palaiologina of Trebizond


Irene Palaiologina (Greek: Ειρήνη Παλαιολογίνα, "Eirēnē Palaiologina"), (c. 1315 – after 1341) was Empress of Trebizond from April 6, 1340 to July 17, 1341. She was an illegitimate daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos, and she married Emperor Basil of Trebizond in 1335. Soon after the marriage, however, Basil took a mistress, also named Irene, and in 1339 divorced Irene Palaiologina with the connivance of the local clergy. Irene Palaiologina's cause was backed by Patriarch John XIV of
21650644
John IV of Trebizond


an unnamed "protovestiarios", whom he killed, then held his parents captive in the citadel until the palace staff released them. John then fled to Georgia. As a result, his brother Alexander was designated "despotes" in his place. While in Georgia John married Bagrationi, a daughter of King Alexander I, but he could not obtain sufficient support to establish himself in Trebizond. A Genoese document dated November 8, 1427 orders the consul at Caffa in the Crimea to keep on good terms with the Emperor of Trebizond
4777548
Tsotne Dadiani


view of rival claims from her son David and his namesake cousin, a natural son of Rusudan's brother and predecessor, King George IV. Tsotne Dadiani was among the supporters of David, son of Rusudan. During this period of interregnum (1245–1250), with the two Davids absent at the court of the Great Khan in Karakorum, the Mongols divided the Kingdom of Georgia into eight districts ("tumen"), each governed by a leading Georgian noble. In this territorial arrangement, Tsotne Dadiani shared the governorship of western
21564383
Ghias ad-Din


but he exchanged it, c. 1201, for Erzurum. He appears to have been a tributary to Georgia for at least parts of his reign. The original name of Rusudan's consort is not recorded in either Georgian or Muslim sources. "Ghias ad-din" is a "laqab" reported by the 13th-century Egyptian scholar ibn 'Abd al-Zahir. The Georgian historian Prince Ioann, writing in the early 19th century, posits that Rusudan's husband was named Dimitri (Demetrius) upon his conversion to Christianity
22053278
Rusudan of Circassia


XI of Kartli, had to surrender as a hostage to Shah Suleiman I in Iran, where Bagrat died c. 1692. Rusudan was not returned to her father and instead remained in Georgia. This should have offended the Circassians, prompting, as Brosset conjectured, Kilchiko to respond vigorously to the shamkhal of Tarki's call to seize George XI's brother Archil and his entourage on their way to Russia. Archil was taken captive, but soon escaped. The shamkhal, in a fury, for he wanted Archil's capture to please
6981084
Rusudan Petviashvili


. Petviashvili's paintings are kept in the family collection of such political leaders as George Bush, Eduard Shevardnadze, Ilham Aliyev, Margaret Thatcher, writer and screenwriter Tonino Guerra, diplomats Richard Miles and Fabrizio Romano, and at the head office of the World Bank. Rusudan Petviashvili paintings adorn the presidential palace of Georgia. She is a favorite artist of Mikheil Saakashvili. “The art of Rusiko turns me to a very good mood, ― said MikheilSaakashvili. ― Maybe someone believes that art should be tragic, but I do not
8274158
Empire of Trebizond


date of the Resurrection—in 1204 fell on 25 April, while the memorial date of St. George was 23 April. "So I dared to assume," writes Karpov, "that the seal points out the date of the capture of Trebizond." Vasiliev points out that the brothers occupied Trebizond too early to have done so in response to the Crusaders capturing Constantinople; Alexios and David began their march on Trebizond before news of the sack of Constantinople on 13 April 1204 could reach either Trebizond or Georgia. According to Vasiliev
6524514
Alexios I of Trebizond


Karpov, "that the seal points out the date of the capture of Trebizond." Vasiliev points out that the brothers occupied Trebizond too early to have done so in response to the Crusaders capturing Constantinople; Alexios and David began their march on Trebizond before news of the sack of Constantinople on 13 April 1204 could reach either Trebizond or Georgia. According to Vasiliev, however, their original intention was not to seize a base from which they could recover the capital of the Byzantine Empire, but rather to carve out of the Byzantine
6693227
List of Roman and Byzantine Empresses


I and Theodora, were simultaneously coregnant. The Western Roman Empire met its end in 476 and the Eastern Roman Empire in 1453. Although others continued to claim similar titles after the Fall of Constantinople in 1453 – e.g. Holy Roman Empresses (as heirs of the Western Empire) or Russian Tsaritsas and Empresses (as the Empresses of the Third Rome) – the last reigning Empress consort of the Eastern Roman Empire of Constantinople was Maria of Trebizond. The last Palaiologan pretender, Andreas Palaiologos, sold his right to the imperial succession to
4345292
Empress Gao (Song dynasty)


daughters. In 1063, Emperor Yingzong succeeded Emperor Renzong, and Gao became Empress. In 1067, her spouse was succeeded by her son, Emperor Shenzong of Song, and she was named Empress dowager. Her tenure as empress consort and empress dowager was undistinguished, and she had no power or influence during the reign of her spouse or son. During her son Shenzong's reign, she opposed the reform policy of Wang Anshi and supported Sima Guang. Upon the death of her son Shenzong in 1085, her under age grandson
1955880
Rusudan of Georgia


ad-Din took Tbilisi on 9 March 1226. The citizens fought courageously and over 100,000 lost their lives when the city fell to the Khwarezmians. The defeated Georgians were ordered to change religion and become Muslims, but refused and almost the whole population of Tbilisi was massacred. In February 1227, the Georgians took advantage of Jelal ad-Din’s failures in Armenia, and retook Tbilisi, but soon were forced to abandon the city – which they themselves had set alight in their battle with the occupation forces. Rusudan made an
11301175
David VII of Georgia


of Rusudan, had died in 1244. Following the coronation at Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, Mtskheta, he was sent to the Great Khan Güyük Khan to receive an official recognition. Held at Karakorum for five years, he met his cousin David there. Finally, Güyük Khan recognized David (Lasha Giorgi’s son) as senior joint sovereign and appointed another David (Rusudan’s son) junior co-ruler. Thereafter known as David VII Ulu (i.e. "the senior") and David VI Narin (i.e. "the junior")
20883067
Vahram Gageli


(son of George IV) would pretend to the throne, Queen Rusudan held him prisoner at the court of her son-in-law, the sultan Kaykhusraw II for nearly seven years, and sent her son David to the Mongol court to get his official recognition as heir apparent. Following the death of Queen Rusudan in 1245 an interregnum (1245–1250) began, the Mongols divided the Kingdom of Georgia into eight districts ("tumen"), five of which belonged to the Georgians, the remaining three tumens were Armenian
4609791
Rusudan Petviashvili


artworks. Rusudan Petviashvili graduated from the Tbilisi State Academy of Art, where she was accepted without examinations. As a student, the artist has created a number of iconic works. Many books were produced with her illustrations, including The Georgian Folk Tales and The Knight in the Panther's Skin by Shota Rustaveli (Moscow-Paris co-edition), the last one became her diploma work. With the blessing of Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II, a group of theologians, scholars and artists started to create the
8274156
Alexios IV of Trebizond


. Due to John's disloyalty and usurpation, Alexios IV made his younger son Alexander of Trebizond "despotes". Eventually John left Georgia for the Genoese colony at Caffa, where he enlisted a galley and its crew to help him recover his position in Trebizond. One day in October 1429, the galley and its crew landed John near Trebizond; Alexios IV marched out to meet his son, only to be murdered during the night by nobles who had been won over by John. Alexander fled Trebizond; the Venetian traveller Pero
13189713
Empress Li Fengniang


-in-law threatened to have her executed for not taking proper care of the monarch. When her spouse recovered, she told him about the threat, and also that she suspected that the medicine his father had left him was poisoned. This is given as the reason to why Emperor Guangzong did not visit his own father's funeral in 1194, which was blamed on Empress Li and led the Empress Dowager Wu to force Guangzong to abdicate. After the abdication of her spouse, she was called "The Empress of the
2362612
Music of Georgia (country)


become one of the international centers of the study of the phenomenon of traditional polyphony. In 2003 the International Research Centre for Traditional Polyphony was established (director Rusudan Tsurtsumia). The tradition of biannual conferences and symposia started in Georgia in the 1980s. These symposia are drawing leading experts of traditional polyphony to Georgia. Urban music must have started as soon as the first cities appeared in Georgia. Tbilisi became the capital of Georgia in the fifth century, and was known as the cultural center of Caucasus. Tbilisi was on the important
19594607
Egarslan Bakurtsikheli


Egarslan Bakurtsikheli (; Egarslan of Bakhurtsikhe) was a 13th-century Georgian nobleman and politician, a powerful feudal lord and ruler of Kakheti. During the Mongol invasion of Georgia in 1236, Queen Rusudan of Georgia fled to western Georgia, leaving eastern Georgia in the hands of Atabeg (tutor) and Amirspasalar (commander-in-chief), Avag Mkhargrdzeli and Egarslan Bakurtsikheli, who held military posts in the frontier regions. They submitted to Mongols without serious opposition and agreed to pay tribute. Finally, in 1239 Georgia submitted to
4506882
Alexios I of Trebizond


own country". However, Kuršanskis notes that there are few traces of Georgian influence in the administration and culture of the Empire of Trebizond, and points out that its elite always looked towards Constantinople for their political and religious models. After marching from Georgia, and with the help of their paternal relative Queen Tamar, Alexios and David occupied Trebizond in April 1204. That same month Alexios was proclaimed emperor at the age of 22, an act considered by later writers as the moment the Empire of Trebizond was founded. Vasiliev was
6693223
Empire of Trebizond


their attempt to reclaim the Byzantine throne in Constantinople. After marching from Georgia, and with the help of their paternal aunt Queen Tamar, Alexios and David occupied Trebizond in April 1204. That same month Alexios was proclaimed emperor at the age of 22, an act considered by later writers as the moment the Empire of Trebizond was founded. The date Alexios entered Trebizond may be narrowed down even further. Sergey Karpov has identified a lead seal of Alexios, on one side "the image of a strategos in the peaked helmet led
6524512
Alexander of Trebizond


Alexander Komnenos or Skantarios Komnenos () was a co-emperor of the Empire of Trebizond, first with his father Alexios IV of Trebizond then, after several years in exile, with his brother John IV. Alexander was the second son of Emperor Alexios (reigned 1417–29) and of his wife, Theodora Kantakouzene. During his father's reign his older brother John attempted to depose Alexios, and failing fled to Georgia; Alexios appointed Alexander co-emperor. However, in 1429 John returned to Trebizond and seized control of the
7612044
Constantine I of Georgia


Constantine I (, ) (died 1412) was King of Georgia from 1405 or 1407 until his death in 1412. He is the common ancestor of all surviving branches of the Bagrationi dynasty. Constantine was the elder son of King Bagrat V of Georgia by his second wife, Anna of Trebizond. His maternal grandparents were Alexios III of Trebizond and Theodora Kantakouzene. In 1400, Constantine was sent as an ambassador to the Mongol warlord Timur Leng who continued a relentless war against the Georgians. Afterwards, he vainly demanded from his
15396295
Anna of Trebizond, Queen of Georgia


Anna Megale Komnene (, 6 April 1357 - after 30 November 1406), was a Trapezuntine Queen consort of Georgia as the second wife of King Bagrat V. She was the mother of his youngest son, Constantine I of Georgia, who would later in 1407 succeed his half-brother, King George VII and reign as king. She was a member of the powerful Byzantine Greek Komnenos dynasty which was founded by Isaac I Komnenos in 1057. Anna was born in Trebizond on 6 April 1357, the day before Good Friday,
7865434
Byzantine–Georgian wars


crowned empress, supported, on the one hand, by the Amytzantarios family and, on the other, by the Laz, the Tzan and, in general, the people of the provinces of the Empire of Trebizond. the prevalence of the indigenous Amytzantarioi after Anna’s ascension to the throne had provoked continuous attempts by the opposing Scholarioi to overthrow her with the support of other noble families. The conflicts between the aristocratic families of Trebizond marked the reign of Anna, who was continuously under the threat of being deposed by the Scholarios
15850241
Demetrius I of Georgia


attacking Georgia from all sides. The Seljuqid sultans fought to restore the rule of the Shirvanshahs. Shirvan's large Muslim population rose against Georgia. This probably happened in 1129 or 1130, when Demetrius restored the Shirvanshahs to power in Shirvan, installing on the throne Manuchihr II, the husband of his daughter Rusudan. Shirvanshahs had to provide the Georgian king with troops whenever the latter demanded it. In 1130 Georgia was attacked by the Sultan of Ahlat, Shah-Armen Sökmen II (1128-1183). This war was started
14399558
Empress Quan (Song dynasty)


known of Empress Quan during the reign of her spouse. The Emperor indulged in personal pleasure and trusted the affairs of state to his grand chancellor Jia Sidao. In August 1274, Emperor Duzong died one month after the Mongol invasion of China, and her son succeeded to the throne as emperor. Being four years old, a regency was appointed to handle the affairs of state, but Empress Quan was not appointed regent: instead, the position of regent was filled by the adoptive mother of her late spouse, the Grand Dowager
1955985
Michael of Trebizond


is unknown what contact Michael had with them, if he provided them succor, or if he was even aware they were in the city. It is in 1341 that Michael's history is once again known. In that year a group of representatives of the "Scholarioi" faction, led by Niketas Scholares and Gregory Meitzomates, arrived from Trebizond and convinced the regents of the young Emperor John V Palaiologos to allow Michael to return. Once there he would marry the deposed Empress Irene Palaiologina and assume the imperial throne. When Michael
21770288
Michael of Trebizond


's three ships reached Trebizond on July 30, 1341, he found Irene had been deposed and his own niece, Anna Anachoutlou ruling as empress. As the legitimate male descendant of the ruling family, Michael received the support of much of the populace and was acclaimed emperor. Some of the nobility, led by the Metropolitan Akakios received him as their lord and escorted him into the palace. As soon as night fell, however, the nobles imprisoned Michael, not wishing to be ruled by a mature and forceful monarch. Anna
21770289
Maria of Mangup


Trebizond's reigning couple, Emperor David and Empress Maria. Historians such as A. D. Xenopol, Orest Tafrali, and Constantin Gane also held the belief that Maria was a Komnenid. The notion was preserved in later academia by Răzvan Theodorescu, who sees Maria as having "the blood of Greek "basileis", Komnenes and Palaiologoi". According to Octavean-Radu Ivan, she "had tight connections" with the Komnenids through the Trebizond dynasty. Beyond his being a Prince of Theodoro, her father's exact identity is disputed
22171019
Helena Kantakouzene, Empress of Trebizond


either in 1426 or 1429, die very quickly afterwards in order for Helena to have still been young enough to be available for marriage. Given that the only contemporary source which mentions Helena is Spandounes, Ganchou posits that these discrepancies can be explained by the fact that Spandounes had unintentionally invented her. Ganchou believes that Spandounes (who was a descendant of the Kantakouzenos) was aware that a member of the house had married an emperor of Trebizond, but that he had not known her name, nor that of the emperor. This
6556678
Order of the Eagle of Georgia


founded the Order to help the Empire of Trebizond. She gave the Georgian knights the Tunic of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Eagle as their emblems in order to distinguish them from the knights of the Empire of Trebizond, who had the double-headed eagle as their emblem. The name of the Order refers to the Sacred Tunic that Jesus Christ wore during His martyrdom. According to tradition, after the relic was raffled off by Roman soldiers, it was taken to Georgia, preserved and buried in the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, alongside
1839408
Helena Megale Komnene


Helena Megale Komnene () (died 1366) is the name given for the first wife of King Bagrat V of Georgia. Her first name is recorded in "The Georgian Chronicle", and her family name is based on a theory which identifies her as a daughter of Basil of Trebizond. If true, the identity of her mother would be uncertain. Basil was bigamous, concurrently married to Irene Palaiologina and Irene of Trebizond. Helena died in 1366, victim to a plague which had spread across Georgia during the 1350s and
8520796
Gürcü Hatun


Kingdom of Georgia and was named after her grandmother Queen Tamar the Great. Gürcü Hatun was the daughter of Queen Rusudan of Georgia and the Seljuk prince Ghias ad-din, a grandson of Kilij Arslan II. She was a sister of King David VI of Georgia. Like most Georgians, Tamar initially remained an Eastern Orthodox Christian but is known to have converted to Islam at a later point, with no further information on how the conversion came about. It is said that the sun on the Seljuk coins of that time symbolizes
12477895