Clergy and worshippers gathered in Georgia’s capital on November 13 for memorial services and a religious procession honoring the 100,000 Christian martyrs who, according to Georgian Orthodox tradition, were executed in the 13th century for refusing to renounce their faith.

The commemorations included a procession from the Church of the Nativity of the Savior in the Zemo Betlemi district to the Metekhi Bridge, where thousands of Tbilisi residents are traditionally believed to have been executed in 1226.

Participants carried crosses and religious icons along the route before gathering at the bridge for a memorial service led by Patriarch Shio III of the Georgian Orthodox Church. Metropolitan bishops, other senior clergy and Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili also attended the ceremony, according to the Georgian Patriarchate’s press service.

Following the service, Patriarch Shio addressed the congregation, highlighting the spiritual significance of the martyrs' sacrifice and urging believers to follow their example of devotion to Christianity.

The commemoration also included a traditional tribute in which worshippers threw flowers into the Kura River. According to church tradition, the bodies of the executed Christians were thrown into the river following their deaths.

In his sermon, Patriarch Shio called on the faithful to remain committed to Christ and described the martyrs' legacy as an important spiritual guide for Georgia's future.

"Let us ask the holy 100,000 Georgian martyrs to teach us to be faithful witnesses of our Lord Jesus Christ," he said.

The patriarch added that adherence to the Christian faith had helped the Georgian people preserve their identity throughout history and remained important for strengthening national unity today.

The events commemorated date back to the invasion of Georgia by the forces of Khwarazmian ruler Jalal ad-Din in the 13th century. According to historical accounts and Georgian Orthodox tradition, the invaders removed icons of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary from a church and placed them on a bridge over the Kura River.

Residents were reportedly ordered to walk over the sacred images as a demonstration of their rejection of Christianity. Those who refused were executed, and their bodies were thrown into the river.

The Georgian Orthodox Church commemorates the 100,000 Martyrs of Tbilisi annually on November 13, honoring those who, according to tradition, chose death rather than abandon their religious beliefs.