St Virgin Mary Church in Upper Betlemi (Tbilisi)

Betlemi is included as an Armenian cult monument in S. Karapetyan’s reference map; hence, it is number 3 in Bishop Mirzakhanyan’s list. Its construction date is indicated as 1430-1437, restored in 1500, 1718, 1884-1900. Their note says that “it was Georgianized in 1990-1993.”

A brief history of the church is the following: similarly to G. Aghayants, S. Karapetyan assumes 1500 to be the date of the construction of Betlemi. It is more interesting to get acquainted with the viewpoint of P. Muradyan, an anxious defender of Betlemi as an Armenian church. In his opinion, the history of Betlemi is the following: in the later half of the 13th c., a chapel was built here; the church was constructed which lasted for a long period of time and several generations took part in it. No Armenian inscription, earlier than the first half of the 14th c., is found in Betlemi. The two sources, cited by P. Muradyan, are noteworthy: the first is the 1837 Hishtarakan (testament) according to which, in the 15th c, a certain Dean Karapeta completed his book in 1437, that is, under King Alexandre.

It took a long time to restore churches and monasteries in the country ravaged eight times by Tamerlane. King Alexandre (1412-1442) was particularly active in it. His name is associated with the re-construction of Svetistskhoveli Church, destroyed by Tamerlane. The Georgian (Mkhedruli) inscription on the western door of Ruisi Church tells: “God commend reign of great Alexandre who reconstructed the church,” etc.

In his discussion of ktitor inscriptions of Georgian churches and monasteries under King Alexandre, Ivane Javakhishvili wrote with sadness: had historical relics survived and retained, inscription, similar to the aforementioned, would by all means be available on the walls of our fortresses, churches and monasteries.

Tbilisi and its surroundings were repeated ravaged by the hordes of Tamerlane. Those, who survived their swords, found shelter in the mountains. In that period, ktitor inscriptions of Betlemi were claimed by vandalism of Tamerlane’s hordes, having been lost forever. What happened was typical of such misfortunes. Georgians defended selflessly their homeland, their capital; they fought till the last drop of their blood and were killed in the battle, while Armenians got hold of the Georgian church of Betlemi.

Moreover, it is interesting who Dean Karapeta copied a book in the church destroyed by Tamerlane… P. Muradyan has no answer to this question!..
The source, cited by P. Muradyan, is the notes sent, on April 28, 1816, by priests Hovhannes Ter-Mkrtichyan and Mkhitar Ter-Stefanos to Catholicos Nerses Ashtaraketsi, rending a rather long history of the construction process of Betlemi; however, the document was compiled later and, naturally enough, the aforementioned individuals are not the eyewitnesses of the story told. It is not clear what their source was. They recorded what they had heard from ancestors; their stories cannot be used as a scholarly document, and even P. Muradyan questions their reliability.

According to Georgian historical sources, Betlemi was founded by Vakhtang Gorgasali. His names is also associated with the construction of the churches of Sioni, Holy Cross of Metekhi, Golgota, St Michael Archangel.

Pl. Ioseliani provides rather noteworthy information: “Some of the Armenian Gregorian churches are also remarkable antiquities. There are 25 such churches in Tiflis (six of them belonged to Orthodox Christians), as Vakhushti writes, it is unknown how Armenians happened to possess them.”

As for Betlemi, he writes the following: “Bethlehem Church, built in 1500. In 1740, it was renovated by Prince Givi Amilakhvari. The initial foundation was laid by Vakhtang Gorgasali.” In the second edition of his book, Pl. Ioseliani specified that Armenians changed the name of the Orthodox Christian church of Betlemi and called it “Petkhaim.” This is their habitual trick; however, “with respect to the memory of the sanctuary, Georgians too visited the church.” Surprised by Armenians’ conceitedness, Pl. Ioseliani asks a question: “Is it known how Armenians happened to possess this church?!” The question was not answered, and, even in our days, the Armenian side claims handing over of Betlemi! The misfortune of the Georgian nation and the church has been due to historical reasons. Georgian churches and monasteries, ravaged as a result of permanent invasions, were offhandedly misappropriated by migrant and displaced Armenians. It happened by rather undignified means. I want to repeatedly note that Ioseliani’s information is quite trustworthy, as contrary to what some Armenian scholars believe, that ethnic Georgian residents of Tbilisi had maintained the ancient tradition: he still visited Betlemi to pray which was later made Armenian.

The next reference about Betlemi is provided in Eg. Ioseliani’s Description of Antiquities of Tiflis (1837) which was, for the first time, published by L. Melikset-begi as a composition of an unknown author (Journal Chveni metsniereba, No 1, 1923, p. 91). P. Ioseliani’s authorship was later established by Ts. Chakiev. He proved that P. Ioseliani was in possession the work of his father Eg. Ioseliani and somehow used it.

Eg. Ioseliani writes the following about Betlemi:

“Here is the wondermaking icon of the Holy Virgin painted in the ancient painting style, guarded by four Armenian and Georgian priests. It was last innovated at the expense of the Georgian Prince Givi Amilakhori called Shahkulikhan.”

The passage emphasizes that, at the later Armenized Church of Betlemi, the wondermaking icon was worshiped by Georgian priests; this is enexpected with a view to the schism and gap between Georgian and Armenian Churches. As already noted, the matter was that Georgian believers somehow managed to visit the church and pray there.

It has been known that first Christian churches were built on the sites of pagan sanctuaries or near the. According to Pl. Ioseliani, to the east of Betlemi, there is a square, brick building (only its ruin has reached our days). Residents of Tbilisi referred to it as sakerpo (‘idol for worship’). According to ancient legends, the building was constructed for storing of the holy fire by idolaters of Ateshga. It was where Vakhtang Gorgasali built Betlemi Church. It is hard to say when Armenian got hold of Betlemi, constructed by Vakhtang Gorgasali, which was devastated many times; however, what was discovered during the archeological excavations should not go beyond the later half of the 13th c.

One way or another, it is a fact that Betlemi underwent plenty of reconstructions, and, naturally enough, Georgians repeatedly tried to regain it. It is a fact that, in 1740, Givi Amilakhvari, and not Giorgi Amilakhvari, as P. Muradyan refers in his aforementioned work (p. 32), renovated Betlemi Church. Givi Amilakhvari’s charity would not be understandable because he would in no way have paid so much to restor an Armenian church; he had to take care of so mnay Georgian churches and monasteries destroyed by enemies. In 1751, he reconstructed the brick church of Kashueti, a predecessor of the current one.

Givi Amilakhvari was a commander of the Sadrosho (military and administrative unit) of Kartli and a mouravi (a seneschal) of Gori, etc. Once again, Givi Amilakhvari restored a number fortresses and churches in Kartli and Kakhti, this being evidenced with surviving inscriptions.

He also reconstructed the Georgian church of Betlemi; however, finally it appeared to be possessed by Armenians. Presently, justice was restored and Betlemi was returned to the Patriarchate of Georgia. Thus, Bishop Mirzakhanyan’s list should not refer to as “Georgianized,” but rather that it was returned to the Georgian people.

As for the Armenian epigraphic data, cited by P. Muradyan, they are authentic evidence of violence and expansion on the part of Armenian clerics, and they in no way profe that the church is Armenian.

The strongest and most authentic document that Betlemi Church has been Georgian since the very beginning is the said tradition firmly established in the memory of the Georgian people.

Finally, what I want to say that, when the big night came over Georgia, when Mongolian invaded (13th c.), Armenians made use of it and got hold of Betlemi. Since that time, Armenian inscriptions started to appear on its walls instead of Georgian ones. P. Muradyan keeps silence about the fact initially Betlemi was Georgian; his silence is not unexpected from him. The traditional reference that Vakhtang Gorgasali built Betlemi Church (5th c.) does not suit him and, hence, is ignored by him. Besides, he does not say a single word about Pl. Ioseliani’s reference and rests only on Eg. Ioseliani’s work. It would not be correct to say that he is not familiar with Pl. Ioseliani’s works; he refers to them in his other works!...

Betlemi is Number 3 in Bishop Mirzakhanyan’s list of the churches to be handed over to the Armenian side.

It was scientifically documented that Betlemi was a Georgian cult facility since the 5th century. Ar for the legal aspect, Bishop Mirzakhanyan has to submit a Georgian king’s deed or a document as a parmission to build the church by Armenians.

Author Bondo Arveladze

To be continued