Gremi and Saint Ketevan

Queen Ketevan holds a revered and cherished place in the hearts of the people of Kakheti, and her name is intricately woven into the history of Gremi—where she lived and, after becoming a widow, wisely ruled the eastern Georgian kingdom. Her brother-in-law, Konstantin, infamously known in history as the “Accursed,” converted to Islam and murdered both his father and brother. Their bodies were tied to camels and sent to Gremi, where Queen Ketevan buried them in Alaverdi. Konstantin desired to make her his wife, but Ketevan, rallying an army, rose against the traitor, leading to his defeat alongside the Persian forces that supported him. This narrative presents the Queen of Kakheti as a strong woman, imbued with dignity and unwavering convictions, capable of sacrificing herself for the sake of her people and her faith.

During the height of inter-religious wars, she actively worked to preserve churches, monasteries, and the fragile peace between neighboring nations. To prevent an invasion of Georgia, Ketevan traveled to Persia (modern-day Iran) to meet Shah Abbas, bringing gifts and even offering to become one of his concubines to avert conflict. For ten long years, she was held captive, pressured to convert to Islam, enduring humiliation and torture.

Despite the relentless torment, Ketevan remained steadfast in her Christian beliefs and, in 1624, after enduring torture with heated pincers, she was executed by fire. Her remains were later taken by Augustinian monks, who managed to transport them to Goa, then a Portuguese colony, three years later. There, her relics were interred in a Catholic monastery. This occurred in 1627, the same year the Georgian Church recognized Ketevan as a great martyr and canonized her as a saint.

Since then, she has been regarded as the patroness of Gremi, and every day a service is held in the Church of the Archangels in honor of their beloved queen, Saint Ketevan.