November 13
(Old Calendar October 31)
The Martyrdom of One Hundred Thousand Georgians
In the year 1227, Georgia faced one of the darkest moments in its history. Sultan Jalal al-Din of Khwarazm, leading an army of Turkmen, launched a brutal assault on the city of Tbilisi.
The Siege of Tbilisi
The Georgian army, with great courage, defended the city on the first day of battle. However, during the night, Persians living within the city betrayed Tbilisi by secretly opening the gates, allowing the enemy army to enter.
According to historical records, the devastation that followed was unspeakable. One manuscript recounts:
“Words are powerless to convey the destruction that the enemy wrought: tearing infants from their mothers’ breasts, they beat their heads against the bridge, watching as their eyes dropped from their skulls…”
A River of Blood
The brutality that engulfed the city was unimaginable. The streets and river of Tbilisi ran red with blood as the invaders castrated young children, raped women, and killed mothers over the bodies of their children. The air was filled with wails of lamentation as death swept through the city.
The atrocities continued as Sultan Jalal al-Din desecrated Sioni Cathedral. He ordered the cupola to be removed and replaced with his throne. Under his command, the icons of the Theotokos and our Savior were taken from the cathedral and placed on the bridge over the Mtkvari River.
Faith and Sacrifice
The invaders forced the citizens to cross the bridge and spit on the holy icons. Those who abandoned their faith were spared, but the faithful Orthodox Christians, who refused to betray their faith, were beheaded.
In total, one hundred thousand Georgians gave their lives in veneration of the holy icons. Their severed heads and bodies were carried away by the bloody waters of the Mtkvari River.
A Prayer for Intercession
O ye thousands of stars, the chosen people guarding the Georgian Church with your golden wings, intercede for us always before the face of God!