Bagrat III of Georgia

Who was Bagrat III of Georgia?

Bagrat III, of the Georgian Bagrationi dynasty, was King of the Abkhazians from 978 on and King of Georgia from 1008 on. As with other Georgian monarchs he was commonly known by the monarchical title Mepe.

He united these two titles by dynastic inheritance and, through conquest and diplomacy, added some more lands to his realm, effectively becoming the first king of what is generally known as a unified Georgian monarchy. Before Bagrat was crowned as the king, he had also reigned as a dynast in Kartli from 976 to 978.

He oversaw the construction of Bagrati Cathedral in Kutaisi, western Georgia. The cathedral's ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.