Georgian alphabet
is found among 13 original scripts of various peoples of the world. Like the
most of the alphabets Georgian alphabet is related to the Phynikian one.
Information that it was created by Georgian King Parnavaz in the 4th-3rd cc.
B.C. is preserved in the "Vita of Kings" by Leonti Mroveli, 11th c. chronicler.
There are three types of the Georgian alphabet, formed in a process of its
development. The first one - "Asomtavruli" (5th-15th cc.) was mainly used in
epigraphic. The second one - "Khutsuri" was used in 9th-11th cc. Since
12th c. "Khutsuri" has been used as a church script. The third version -
"Mkhedruli" has been in use since the 10th c. The Georgian alphabet
comprised 38 letters. In the 19th c. their number was reduced to 33. The most
ancient paleographic Georgian script dates to the 30s of the 5th century
A.D. This is a mosaic script in one of the Georgian monasteries in
Palestine found during the archaeological expedition led by Virgillio Korbo in
1952. The most ancient surviving Georgian literary work "The Martyrdom of
St.Shushanik" by Iakob Tsurtaveli dates to the 70s of the 5th c. Thanks to high
professionalism of the author, it can not be regarded just as a hagiographic
story. "The Martyrdom" abounds in psychological scenes, descriptions of
character types and environment. Christianity has stimulated not only
translation of the Bible, but creation of original works by Georgian
authors.
A page from the manuscript of Alaverdi
TetraGospel, 1054
