THE CHURCH OF SAINT GEORGE OF THE GEORGIANS AT TREBIZOND: IDENTIFICATION AND LOCATION
Abstract
The article examines an account by the French author Julien Bordier from 1609, which documents the existence of a church under Georgian ownership within the fortified city of Trebizond (Trabzon). According to him, the church was dedicated to Saint George and had previously been under Roman Catholic possession. Beyond the narrative description, the Georgian Church of Saint George – or more accurately, the ecclesiastical complex consisting of a church, bell tower, tower, and auxiliary structures – is also depicted on the city plan compiled by Bordier himself.
To date, this account has not been analyzed within Georgian scholarly circles. In the case of foreign scholarship, although Bordier’s testimony has been known to some extent since 1935, it has not been subjected to detailed study. The fairly simple reasons cited for this include the church’s otherwise unknown status and the assumption that the existence of a Georgian – or simply, a Christian – church in Ottoman Trebizond at the beginning of the seventeenth century was inherently unlikely. Skepticism toward the subject and the lack of scholarly attention have also been significantly shaped by a prevailing stereotypical notion that Georgian ecclesiastical activity had never taken place in Trebizond or, more broadly, in the historical Lazeti (Lazistan; or in other words Chaneti) region, which almost corresponds to the Pontus.
The present study sets out to undertake a careful examination and analysis of Bordier’s account. We contend that this inquiry has revealed significant facts and circumstances that contribute to the identification of the Georgian church and clarification of its location. These findings, we believe, will both enhance understanding of the historical topography of Trebizond and advance the study of Georgian and Georgian-related cultural heritage in the region, underscoring the necessity for further research in this field.
Keywords: Trebizond; Georgian church; Saint George Church; 17th century; Identification; Location; Julien Bordier
