Tewdore Kwelteli
Tewdore Kwelteli ( Georgian თევდორე კველთელი ; Theodor von Kwelta ; † 1609 ), martyr and saint of the Orthodox Church , was a Georgian priest in the village of Kwelta and a hero in the fight against the Turkish invasion of 1609.
The young Georgian King Luarsab II was staying in his summer residence at Tschireti Castle in Manglisi when the Turkish troops marched into the province of Kartli (eastern Georgia) in June 1609 . After the Turks had been informed of the king's whereabouts, they decided to besiege the castle and capture the king in order to take control of Georgia. On their way to Manglisi they had to pass the village of Kwelta. Tewdore and the other residents of the village did not manage to flee into the forest in time from the approaching troops. When Tewdore fell into the hands of the Turks, they threatened to kill him if he did not show them the way to the king's castle. In the hope of being able to deceive the Turkish troops, however, he led them in a different direction over a treacherous mountain path, on which not a few soldiers and their horses perished. After a time, however, the Turks realized that they had been deceived and took revenge on Tewdore Kwelteli by beheading him. Thanks to Tewdore's sacrifice, King Luarsab II managed to gain time to plan his defenses and assemble his armies, which ultimately led to his victory over the Turks.
Numerous Georgian folk legends have preserved the memory of Tewdore Kwelteli to this day.
literature
- Article Tewdore Kwelteli in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (BSE) , 3rd edition 1969–1978 (Russian)
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Tewdore Kwelteli |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Theodor of Kwelta; თევდორე_კველთელი (Georgian); Tevdore Kvelteli |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Georgian priest, martyr and saint of the Orthodox Church |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 16th Century |
| DATE OF DEATH | after June 1609 |