Battle of Didgori
Didgori Valley, about 40 km west of Tbilisi, Georgia
What happened
King David IV of Georgia, known as 'the Builder', and his son Demetrius fought a Seljuk-led coalition army under Ilghazi. A large Seljuk-led army marched into Georgia. David hid part of his army in the hills and pretended to come for talks, getting close to the enemy leaders. The Georgians then attacked; Ilghazi was wounded and withdrew, and the leaderless coalition army broke and fled.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It led to the recapture of Tbilisi and began what is called the medieval Georgian Golden Age. Georgian chronicles call it a 'miraculous victory'.
What came next
In February 1122 David captured Tbilisi and moved his capital there from Kutaisi. He died in 1125 and was buried at Gelati.
Did you know?
Every year on 12 August, Georgians hold a festival called Didgoroba, 'the day of Didgori'.
Timeline
- 1089David IV becomes king of Georgia.
- 12 August 1121Georgia wins at Didgori.
- February 1122David captures Tbilisi and makes it his capital.
- 24 January 1125David IV dies in Tbilisi.