In Georgia, at Guergueti, Mitscketa, Tbilissi : pictures from L. Delooz, 2009

The Grapevine Cross also known as the Georgian Cross is a cross the arms of which arms are lightly curved downwards, and it is the symbol of the Georgian Apostolic Orthodox Church. Traditional accounts credit Saint Nino, a woman who, early in the 4th century, brought it in Iberia (Georgia) for preaching Christianity.This cross in vineshoot and tied with her hair was her personal cross. She gave it, when arriving in Mitshketa, to the Court of Iberia, for the Queen, and the kingdom become Christian. The Cross was venerated till 458 in the cathedral of Mitshketa, then in Armenia, then in Guergueti, for protecting it from the robbers. During 800 years the Cross went  from churches to fortresses, because of Mongolian, Persian or Muslim invasions. After many travels, the Cross is in the Sion cathedral in Tblisi. The Georgian Orthodox Apostolic Church is autocephalus (self-headed), and one of the oldest autocephalus churches in the world. At the beginning of the 4th century, the Christianism was declared the official religion in Georgia. This religion was abolished in 1811 and recognized in 1943. The relations between the State and the Church are regulated by the Constitutional Agreement of 2002. The Georgian kingdom of Iberia converted to Christianity in the 330s AD. Scholars believe that the creation of an Old Georgian alphabet modeled upon the Greek alphabet was instrumental in making religious scripture more accessible to the Georgians. This happened in the 4th or 5th century, not long after conversion. The oldest uncontested example of Georgian writing is an Asomtavruli inscription from 430 AD in a church in Bethlehem. The writing of the Georgian language has progressed through three forms, known by their Georgian names: Asomtavruli, Nuskhuri, and Mkhedruli. They have always been distinct alphabets, even if they have been used together to write the same languages, and even though these alphabets share the same letter names and collation. Although the most recent alphabet, Mkhedruli, contains more letters than the two historical ones, those extra letters are no longer needed for writing modern Georgian. GUERGHÉTI {morfeo 2} MITSKHETA {morfeo 3} TBILISSI {morfeo 4} GERMAN PRISONERS {morfeo 5}