Saint Abo of Tiflis
Saint Abo of Tiflis (born c. 756 AD in Baghdad, Abbasid Caliphate (modern Iraq); died January 6, 786 AD in Tiflis (modern Tbilisi), Georgia) was an Arab Christian martyr who was born a Muslim in Baghdad, converted to Christianity, and was beheaded in Tbilisi (Tiflis) for apostasy from Islam — the legal crime of leaving the Muslim faith. He is the patron saint of Tbilisi. His feast day is January 6 (in the Eastern calendar) or January 8 in some traditions.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Abo of Tiflis
| Saint Abo of Tiflis | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | January 6 (Georgian Orthodox / Old Style); January 8 in some traditions |
| Profession | Perfumer (by trade in Baghdad); convert from Islam to Christianity; Arab Christian martyr; patron of Tbilisi |
| Rel. Affiliation | Georgian Orthodox Church; Catholic Church; Eastern Christianity; 8th-century Caucasian Christianity; Arab convert-martyr; Muslim-to-Christian conversion |
| Patronage | Tbilisi; Georgia; the Georgian Orthodox Church; converts from Islam to Christianity; those who face death for leaving Islam; Arab Christians |
| Attributes | Arab dress (his origin); a perfumer's flask (his Baghdad trade); chains or imprisonment (his arrest); the Kura River (where his ashes were thrown); Tbilisi cityscape; Georgian cross |
| Birthplace | Baghdad, Abbasid Caliphate (modern Iraq) |
| Death Place | Tiflis (Tbilisi), Georgia |
| Cause of Death | Martyrdom; beheaded in Tiflis (Tbilisi) on January 6, 786 AD, by order of the Abbasid governor of Georgia; the charge was apostasy from Islam (riddah) — he was an Arab who had converted from Islam to Christianity, which under Islamic law was a capital offense; he had been arrested, imprisoned, offered release if he would return to Islam, and refused; after his execution his body was burned and his ashes thrown into the Kura River to prevent veneration; this was ineffective — the Christian community gathered his ashes and venerated them |
| Primary Shrine | Sioni Cathedral, Tbilisi — principal Georgian Orthodox cathedral; his relics venerated there; January 6/8 feast; patron of the city |
| Liturgical Class | Feast in the Georgian Orthodox Church; recognized in the Catholic Church; January 6 (OS) |
| Historic Class | Not in universal 1962 calendar |
Biography
Abo was born c. 756 AD in Baghdad to an Arab Muslim family. He worked as a perfumer. He came to Georgia c. 779–780 AD in the household of Nerses, a Georgian prince who had been held in Baghdad and was returning home.
In Tiflis (Tbilisi) he encountered the Christian Georgian community. He learned the Georgian language, was attracted to Christianity, and was baptized. He lived openly as a Christian. The Muslim authorities noticed him as an apostate from Islam.
He was arrested, imprisoned, and offered release if he would return to Islam. He refused. He was tried and executed by beheading on January 6, 786 AD. His body was burned and the ashes thrown into the Kura River. The Christian community gathered his ashes and venerated them.
His hagiographic life was written almost immediately by Ioane Sabanisdze (c. 786 AD) — one of the earliest and most important documents of Georgian literature.
He is the patron saint of Tbilisi. His feast is celebrated in Georgia as a national and religious holiday.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Baghdad, Abbasid Caliphate (modern Iraq)
Death location: Tiflis (Tbilisi), Georgia
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Known shrines
- Sioni Cathedral, Tbilisi — principal shrine; patron of the city; January 6/8 feast.
Feast day
January 6 (Old Style Georgian calendar)
Veneration
Saint Abo of Tiflis was an Arab perfumer from Baghdad who converted from Islam to Christianity in Georgia and was beheaded in Tbilisi in 786 AD. The first major hagiographic text of Georgian literature records his martyrdom. He is patron of Tbilisi. Feast January 6.
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