Memorial Day of Queen Tamara in Georgia
The main celebrations are held in Tbilisi in the Didube Church of Blessed Lady where the ruler got married to her second husband. Another place with a strong Queen Tamara cult is a town of Akhaltsikhe in the south of the country, where the huge monument to the Queen was placed in the very town centre.
Ascended the throne in 1184 after the death of her father George III, Tamara became the first woman to helm the state as a sole ruler. Historians call her reign the Golden Age of Georgia. She put an end to turmoil in the clergy sphere, established administrative procedures and removed all those who abused power.
Tamara managed to unite highlanders of Abkhazia, Imereti and Kakheti under her patronage. With her military armour on, she personally led Georgian army against Muslims. Queen’s authority was so immense that enemies agreed to give keys to the besieged town of Kars to her only.
Tamara died on January 18, 1212 and was later canonized to saints by both Georgian and Russian Orthodox churches.
According to the Civil Registry maintained by the Ministry of Justice of Georgia, the name Tamara is one of the most popular girls' names in the country along with Nino and Miriam. Today the state is home to over 80 000 Tamaras aged 16 and older. This number also includes the diminutive names as Taco, Tamuna, Tamriko and similar.
