GEORGIAN MONASTERY OF IZMIR (TURKEY)

Abstract

It is evident from written records and passages in travel literature that Georgian Christian churches with Georgian monks conducting religious services existed in several provinces of the Ottoman Empire, including Constantinople (Istanbul), during the Late Middle Ages. Unfortunately, the majority of them have been destroyed and are now lost to history. One of these churches was situated in İzmir during the Late Middle Ages. In reference to the aforementioned, ‘Mimosvla,’ the travel text by Timote (Timothy) Gabashvili (1703-1764), provides us with some significant information, stating that since the 15th century, there has been a Georgian monastery in İzmir (formerly known as Smyrna), which was part of the Ottoman Empire. Describing his impressions of İzmir, he draws particular attention to the fact that he stayed in the monastery while in the city. Platon Ioseliani (1810-1875) was another writer who personally visited the Georgian monastery in İzmir and provided detailed written records about it. Their stories demonstrate that the İzmir Georgian monastery housed a sizable library with a significant number of books and manuscripts. Unfortunately, not only is the site of this priceless find unclear today, but also the exact location of the monastery remains unknown. We specifically reached out to Ms. Makvala Kharebava, the Honorary Consul of Georgia in İzmir, Republic of Turkey, to learn more about the existence of the İzmir Georgian monastery. Unfortunately, despite her diligent efforts, unique records related to the aforementioned monastery have not been located yet. Therefore, further active research in this regard must be carried out in the future.