Georgians are in love with their past, more than they are connected to the present. Still the most vital figure in the imagination of the people, the most admired leader in Georgian history is Queen Tamara (Bagrationi) (1184–1212), the daughter of King David Bagratoni, who united all of Georgia. Tamara withstood the Mongols and through her marriages brought about a truce between Islam and Christianity. All over Georgia, churches and castles constructed under her royal patronage, with their beaut…