Shota Rustaveli

Shota Rustaveli (Georgian შოთა რუსთაველი; * about 1172 in Rustavi, Georgia; † in Jerusalem about 1216 ) was a Georgian poet and one of the most important writers of the Middle Ages. He wrote the courtly epic The Knight in the Tiger Skin (Georgian Vepkhis t'q'aosani ). The manuscript of this was declared in 2013 for the World Soundtrack Awards.

Life

Rustaveli is said to have lost both parents as a child and grew up with an uncle who was a monk. He was a Georgian prince and finance ministers of the Queen Tamar of Georgia. His last name means either the owner of Rustavi - possession or coming from Rustavi.

There are only a few known details about his life. His birth and death dates are unknown. He studied Greek, took part in the campaigns of his queen, who lived in Jerusalem and was there later renovate the columns in the Georgian Cross Monastery. In addition to his public office, he worked as a philosopher and astrologer.

His poetry reflects Chinese, Persian, and Greek philosophy. Plato, King David and Muhammad are mentioned by name in the epic.

Between 1196 and 1207 Rustaveli wrote in the royal order, the epic The Knight in the Tiger Skin. It portrays chivalry and nobility, which rise above religion and nation. Queen Tamar was impressed by the work and paid the author generously. It became part of the Georgian folk poetry and transmitted orally for centuries from generation to generation.

Supposedly Rustaveli was a lover of Queen Tamar and said to have been sent into exile to Jerusalem when she married David Soslan. He was buried under a pillar in the church of Jerusalem Cross Monastery. The monastery also houses a contemporary fresco Rustaveli. It was severely damaged several times by vandalism in July 2004. Georgian President awards as the highest state award in the fields of literature, art and architecture, the Shota Rustaveli State Prize -. It is endowed with 8,000 Georgian Lari. The largest boulevard of Tbilisi 's Rustaveli Gamsiri of the metro station of the same name. It is the State Academic Theater Shota Rustaveli and the Shota Rustaveli Institute of Georgian - literature of the Georgian Academy of Sciences. His portrait is depicted on the front of the Georgian 100 lari - bill. According to the poet, a 4,860 m high peak in the Greater Caucasus and the asteroid ( 1171 ) Rusthawelia was named.