The Ateni Theotokos Church inscription ( ka, ატენის ღვთისმშობლის ეკლესიის წარწერა) is the

Georgian language Georgian (, , ) is the most widely-spoken Kartvelian language, and serves as the literary language or lingua franca for speakers of related languages. It is the official language of Georgia and the native or primary language of 87.6% of its p ...

inscription written in the Georgian ''

Asomtavruli The Georgian scripts are the three writing systems used to write the Georgian language: #Asomtavruli, Asomtavruli, #Nuskhuri, Nuskhuri and #Mkhedruli, Mkhedruli. Although the systems differ in appearance, their Letter (alphabet), letters share t ...

'' script on the Ateni ''

Theotokos ''Theotokos'' (Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are ''Dei Genitrix'' or ''Deipara'' (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations are " ...

'' Church, a

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...

located in the village of Didi Ateni,

Gori Municipality Gori ( ka, გორის მუნიციპალიტეტი, ''Goris municiṗaliṫeṫi'') is a district of Georgia, in the region of Shida Kartli. After abolishment of former South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast, the Gori District includ ...

Shida Kartli Shida Kartli ( ka, შიდა ქართლი, , ; "Inner Kartli") is a landlocked administrative region (''Mkhare'') in eastern Georgia. It comprises a central part of the historical-geographic province of Shida Kartli. With an area of , Sh ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

. The inscriptions are dated 982–989 AD. The inscription mentions Rati I and Liparit II, Dukes of Kldekari.Kornelius Danelia, Zurab Sarjveladze, Georgian Paleography. Tbilisi, 1997, pp. 42–43

Inscription

::ႵႤ ႠႣႨႣႤ ႭႰႱႠ ::ႥႤ ႺႾႭႥႰႤႡႠႱႠ ::ႠႵႠ ჄႭႰႺႨႤႪႤႡ ::Ⴐ ႣႠ ႼႤ ႸႬႱႠ ႱႳႪ ::ႨႤႡႰ ႰႠႲ ႤႰႨႱႧ ::ႠႥႨ ႻႤ ႨႢႨ ႪႮႰႲ ::ႤႰႨႱႧႥႨႱႠႨ ႰႪႬ ::ႠႶႠႸႤႬႠ ႤႱႤ ႱႠႾ ::ႪႨ ႶႧႨႱႠႨ ႣႠ ႡႽႤႨ ::ႺႠႧႠႨ ႼႨ ႤႩႪႤႱႨ ::ႠႨ ႱႠႪႭႺႥႤႪႠႣ ::ႱႳႪႨႱႠ ႫႧႨႱႠ *Translation: "Jesus Christ, have mercy on both of the worldly lives, bodily and spiritual, of Rati

Eristavi ''Eristavi'' (; literally, "head of the nation") was a Georgian feudal office, roughly equivalent to the Byzantine ''strategos'' and normally translated into English as "prince" or less commonly as "duke". In the Georgian aristocratic hierarchy, i ...

, son of Liparit Eristavi, who built this house of God as a rock of Sky, a holy Church, for praying for their souls."

References

{{reflist Georgian inscriptions Archaeological artifacts 980s 10th-century inscriptions