Georgian history has been profoundly affected by the country's espousal of Christianity in the fourth century AD.During its 'Golden Age' from the eleventh to thirteenth centuries it was a world commercial and cultural centre and a key point on the Christian frontier during the Crusades. After centuries of Mongol and Turkish subjection and absorption into the Russian/Soviet Empire, Georgia is today once again an independent country.The introductory text of this book traces Georgia's long cultural history from archealogical beginnings to the present. Twenty-three essays by scholars from all over the world give a vivid portrayal of Georgia's heritage in history, literature and manuscript production, archeology and art throughout prehistoric, classical and Christian periods up to the Early Modern Era.A fully illustrated, descriptive catalogue of 165 works ranging from a ceramic shard of the 6th millennium BC through10th-century icons to early 20th- century paintings.