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Georgia The Arts
In many art forms, Georgia has a tradition spanning
millennia. The golden age of the Georgian Empire (early twelfth
century to early thirteenth century) was the time of greatest
development in many forms, and subsequent centuries of occupation
and political domination brought decline or dilution. Folk music
and dance, however, remain an important part of Georgia's unique
culture, and Georgians have made significant contributions to
theater and film in the late twentieth century.
Literature
Among literary works written in Georgian, Shota Rustaveli's
long poem The Knight in the Panther Skin occupies a unique
position as the Georgian national epic. Supposedly Rustaveli was
a government official during the reign of Queen Tamar (1184-
1212), late in the golden age. In describing the questing
adventures of three hero-knights, the poem includes rich
philosophical musings that have become proverbs in Georgian. Even
during communist rule, the main street of the Georgian capital
was named after Rustaveli.
Data as of March 1994
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