The Knight in the Panther's Skin
The Knight in the Panther's Skin is a Georgian medieval epic poem, written in the 12th or 13th century by Georgia's national poet Shota Rustaveli. A definitive work of the Georgian Golden Age, the poem consists of over 1600 Rustavelian Quatrains and is considered to be a "masterpiece of the Georgian literature". Until the early 20th century, a copy of this poem was part of the dowry of every bride.
17th-century manuscript of Vepkhistkaosani
Rustaveli presenting Queen Tamar the epic poem, painting by Mihály Zichy. This is one of 35 paintings made by Zichy under an 1881 commission by Georgian intelligentsia. Impressed by the poem, the artist donated all his works to the Georgian people, refusing any payment.
Tariel, the knight in the panther's skin, S.S. Kobuladze illustration.
Tariel, Avtandil and Pridon looking at the Kajeti fortress, Mihály Zichy illustration.
Georgian is the most widely spoken Kartvelian language; it also serves as the literary language or lingua franca for speakers of related languages. It is the official language of Georgia and the native or primary language of 87.6% of its population. Its speakers today amount to approximately 3.76 million. Georgian is written in its own unique alphabet.
Road sign in Mtavruli and Latin scripts
"Mshrali khidi" (dry bridge) bilingual construction signboard in Georgian (Mtavruli) and Italian in Tbilisi.