November 548
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Georgian Manuscripts in UNESCO Memory of the World Register

Exhibition “Georgian Manuscripts in UNESCO Memory of World Register” was opened today in the Exhibition Pavilion of the National Archives of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia.

By the end of 2017 the nominee was submitted by the National Archives of Georgia for the third time. For this time – Gospel-Palimpsest 9th-10th, 12th-13th, 14th cc.

The originals and the copies of those manuscripts and historical documents, inscribed in UNESCO Memory of World Register since 2013, will be presented at the exhibition. Among them are:

2017 – Gospel-Palimpsest 9th-10th, 12th-13th, 14th cc.

The most part of the manuscript’s papers are palimpsests. In some cases, we meet double palimpsests as well. They have chronologically three layers: The oldest layer which is determined by the 9th-10th centuries is written in Asomtavruli, the second and third layers (12th-14th centuries) – Nuskhuri.

The upper, chronologically last layer is scribed by unknown Giorgi, the customer was the monk Estate.

The manuscript have numerous of colophons (13th-18th cc.), written in Asomtavruli, Nuskhuri and Mkhedruli. Conformably, all three stages of Georgian alphabet are presented in the manuscript.  

The manuscript was transferred to the National Archives of Georgia in 1924 from Tortiza monastery. Its research is still under way.

2015 – 8 ancient manuscripts:

  • Anbandidi Gospel, 13th century
  • Plaster, 10th century
  • Lectionary, 10th century
  • Neumatic Hymns, 10th-11th centuries and palimpsests
  • Charter of donation of land for a vineyard to the Chorepiscopus Daniel Nekisadze from Iovane, the Archibishop of Manglisi and Tbilisi (1440-1462, palimpsest)
  • Renewal of the charter of immunity of King Alexander the Great of the Makuchadzes (1448, palimpsest)
  • Renewal of the Charter of Immunity of King George VIII to Svetitskhoveli (1447, palimpsest)
  • The Triodion (13th-14th centuries, palimpsest)

 

2013 – Vakhushti Batonishvili's Atlas and "Description of the Kingdom of Georgia"

The Atlas is set in a green mosaic cardboard cover. It contains 19 maps and 2 genealogical schemes of the Bagrationi family. The autograph was transferred from Saint-Petersburg Saltykov-Shchedrin library to the National Archives in 1925. The 1745 manuscript atlas is preserved fully intact.

 “The Description of the Georgian Kingdom” consisted of the maps, chronicles, the cycle of years and the index. Supposedly, the manuscript came apart in the Asian art Museum and the atlas was bound separately. For the present time, The Atlas and “The Description of the Georgian Kingdom” are preserved in the National Archives of Georgia in two manuscripts.

Vakhushti Batonishvili’s work is the first complete and through geographical description of Georgia.

The exposition provides the society with the opportunity to acquaint with the all those Georgian documents that were awarded with the status of the world heritage.

The exhibition will last till 10 February. Attendance is free.