GEORGIAN ALPHABET: HISTORY AND

DEVELOPMENT

Presentation by: Ani Chkhaidze

Elene Phartenadze
Natalia Grigoryan
Professor: Tsotne Tchanturia
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

2. Myths
regarding the
1. History and 4.Types and their
creation of 3. inscriptions
creation characteristics
Georgian
alphabet
INTRODUCTION

The Georgian scripts are the three writing systems used to write the Georgian
language: Asomtavruli, Nuskhuri and Mkhedruli.
On November 30, 2016, UNESCO included the Georgian alphabet in the list of
intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
Georgian Alphabet consists of 33 Letters

damtserloba "script" in Mkhedruli

 HISTORY AND CREATION

No exact date known when exactly the Georgian Alphabet was created,
however different theories provide us with information.

,,Martyrdom of the Holy Queen Shushanik” King Pharnavaz (4th-3rd

century B.C.
 MYTHS REGARDING THE CREATION
OF GEORGIAN ALPHABET

1. Creating Georgian Alphabet might be related to Christianity

2. myth of Argonaut

3. The routes of the Georgian alphabet could come from the

Greek alphabet

4. Mesrop Mashtots
 INSCRIPTIONS

• Nekresi Inscriptions • Bolnisi Sioni Inscription • Gelati Monastery Inscriptions

 TYPES AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS

Three scripts:
1. Asomtavruli (5th–9th century)
2. Nuskhuri (9th–11th century)
3. Mkhedruli (11th century and beyond)
 A S O M TAV R U L I

Davitgareji's inscription, written

in asomatruli script.

The lower layer of the palimpsest, which is

made in Asomathuruli script, dates back to the
6th-7th centuries.
Letter ,,M”
 NUSKHURI

Nuskhuri of Monastery of Iviron,

Here is an example of Nuskhuri writing. The
10th century.
first part of text is written in asomtavruli, and
the second in- nuskhuri
 MKHEDRULI

Royal charter of King Vakhtang VI of

Royal charter of King Bagrat IV of Kartliin Mkhedruli, 1712 AD.
Georgiain Mkhedruli, 11th century
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Chilashvili, L. (2004). Ancient Georgian Inscriptions in Nekresi and Issues of History

of Georgian Writing. Tbilisi: Sezani” Ltd.
• Gigashvili, K. (2019). in the state of studying the georgian written culture before
and in the digital era. European Researcher, 94-100.
• McElvanney, K. (2019, August 06). The three lives of the Georgian alphabet. From
European studies blog:
https://blogs.bl.uk/european/2019/08/the-three-lives-of-the-georgian-alphabet.ht
ml#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Georgian%20chronicles,propose%20Semitic
%20and%20Aramaic%20origins
• Simonia, I. (2004). Old Georgian Astronomical Manuscripts. Journal of Astronomical
data, 121-133.
• Rayfield, D. (2013). The literature of Georgia: A history. Routledge.