Holy Remains of Queen Ketevan is in Georgia

His Holiness and Beatitude Catholicos Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II, clergymen, government officials and parishioners met the holy remains at the airport. After the supplicatory canon at the place, the holy remains were transferred to Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia.

The holy remnants will be transferred to Holy Trinity Cathedral on 24 September where the orthodox congregation will be given opportunity to pray.

On 25 September the grave mound will be taken first to Kakheti, Alavedri Cathedral and then to all eparchies of Georgia during the six months. 

Chancellor of Caucasus International University, Vakhtang Tsivtsivadze and Advisor to Rector for International Relations Darpan Prasher actively participated together with the Patriarchate, Ministries of Culture and Foreign Affairs in the organizational issues for the transportation of the holy remains Ketevan the Martyr.

Archaeologists have been searching the relics of Ketevan the Martyr in the ruins of the Christian cathedral in Goa since 2000. After six years of intense work, they found the holy remains in the Dagras Monastery. The leader of Avtchala St. Ketevan Martyr’s Church, Father Giorgi Razmadze and archaeologist Nizamudin Taher, along with other members of the expedition, took part in the archaeological excavations.

According to his archaeological excavations carried out in the ruins of Saint Augustus's complex, it has been proved that the holy remains found in Goa belonged to the Georgian queen Ketevan the Martyr.

Caucasus International University will award Nizamudin Taher title of honorary doctor for his contribution to the archaeological excavations on 10 October, 2017.

Ketevan, Queen of Kakheti was capture in 1613 during Shah-Abbas attack.

The Queen refused to change her faith, and in 1624 she was tortured in the city of Shiraz. According to historical sources, the Portuguese missionaries dug the remains of the queen in secret and transferred to the Augustinian monastery of Ispahan. Later, missionaries brought Ketevan the martyr’s body to Georgia. The remnants were preserved in Alaverdi Cathedral until 1723. After Ottomans invasion, the remains were lost.