447–522 AD: The Giant, the Warrior, the Saint, and the Builder of the Capital

In the heart of Tbilisi, overlooking the Mtkvari River, stands the equestrian statue of a giant. This is King Vakhtang I, known to history as Gorgasali (“Wolf-Head”). He is not just a king; he is the Arthurian legend of Georgia, a figure where history and myth blend into a towering reality. Standing over 2.4 meters tall (according to legend), he was a warrior-king who united the Caucasus, defied the Persian Empire, and gave Georgia its modern heart.

The Wolf-Head Legend

Vakhtang ascended the throne at age 7, inheriting a kingdom under Persian domination. By age 16, he was leading armies. He earned his nickname “Gorgasali” (from Persian Gorg-sar) because he wore a golden helmet shaped like a wolf’s head into battle. When the Persians saw him on the battlefield, they would scream, “Dur az Gorgasali!” (“Beware the Wolf-Head!”).

He spent his early years fighting the Alans in the North (to rescue his kidnapped sister) and expanding Georgia’s borders to the Black Sea (Lazica) and south into Armenia. He transformed Iberia from a vassal state into a regional power.

The Legend of the Pheasant and Tbilisi

Vakhtang’s most enduring legacy is the city of Tbilisi. The legend says the King was hunting in the forests near the Mtkvari River with his favorite falcon. The falcon caught a pheasant, but both birds fell into a hot spring. When the King’s servants found them, the birds were boiled.

Amazed by the natural hot sulfur waters, Vakhtang declared: “Here, I will build a city.” He named it Tbilisi (from the Georgian word tbili, meaning “warm”). Although he ruled from Mtskheta, he laid the foundations for the new capital that his son would finish. Today, the Abanotubani (Bath District) stands on the site of those legendary springs.

The Battle for the Church

Vakhtang was also a great reformer of the faith. He realized that for Georgia to be truly independent, its Church needed to be independent of foreign bishops. He negotiated (and fought) for the Autocephaly of the Georgian Orthodox Church, appointing the first Catholicos of Georgia. He began the construction of the massive stone Svetitskhoveli Cathedral in Mtskheta, replacing the earlier wooden church of Mirian III.

The Final Betrayal

Vakhtang’s life ended in tragedy, as all great hero stories do. In 502 AD (or 522), during a fierce battle against the Persians, he was betrayed by a renegade slave/noble who knew the secret weakness in the King’s armor. The traitor shot an arrow through the gap under the King’s armpit. The wound was fatal.

Vakhtang died at the fortress of Ujarma. He was buried in the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral he built. On his tomb, there is a simple truth: even in death, he is the guardian of the nation.

Tourism Guide: The Gorgasali Trail

  1. Metekhi Church (Tbilisi): Visit the iconic equestrian statue of Vakhtang Gorgasali. It is the most photographed spot in the city, overlooking the Old Town he founded.
  2. Abanotubani: Take a sulfur bath in the district where the King found the pheasant. The hot water is the very reason Tbilisi exists.
  3. Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (Mtskheta): Visit his tomb on the floor of the cathedral (to the left of the altar). It is a place of pilgrimage for all Georgians.
  4. Ujarma Fortress: The ruins of his favorite residence and the place where he died. The views from the citadel are breathtaking.