Vakhtang I of Iberia

Vakhtang I is credited with founding the city of Tbilisi, which became the capital of Georgia. According to tradition, he ordered the construction of a fortress and settlement around the hot springs.

Vakhtang I led a rebellion against Sassanid Persian rule, seeking to restore Iberian independence. The war ended in defeat, and Vakhtang was forced into exile, but it inspired later resistance.

Vakhtang I reorganized the Georgian Orthodox Church, establishing it as an autocephalous entity under the Patriarchate of Antioch. This strengthened Christianity's role in Iberia.