HistoryThe recorded history of Georgia dates back more than 4,000 years.Georgia in AntiquityAncient Georgian Kingdoms of Colchis and IberiaTwo early Georgian Kingdoms of late antiquity, known to ancient Greeks and Romans as Iberia in the east of the country and Colchis in the west, were among the first nations in the region to adopt Christianity (in 337 AD, or in 319 AD as recent research suggests.).Colchis is the location of the Golden Fleece sought by Jason and the Argonauts in the Greek myth and may have derived from the local practice of using fleeces to sift gold dust from rivers. Known to its natives as Egrisi or Lazica, Colchis often saw battles between the rival power of Persia and the Byzantine Empire, both of which managed to conquer Western Georgia from time to time. As a result, those Kingdoms disintegrated into various feudal regions in the early Middle Ages. This made it easy for Arabs to conquer Georgia in the 7th century. The rebellious regions were liberated and united into the Georgian Kingdom at the beginning of the 11th century. Starting in the 12th century the rule of Georgia extended over the significant part of the Southern Caucasus, including northeastern parts and almost the entire northern coast of what is now Turkey.MedievalKingdom of Georgia at peak of its military dominance, 1184-1225The Georgian Kingdom reached its zenith in the 12th to early 13th centuries. This period has been widely termed as Georgia's Golden Age. The revival of the Georgian Kingdom was shortlived however, and the Kingdom was eventually subordinated by the Mongols in 1236. Thereafter, different local rulers fought for their independence from the central Georgian rule, until the total disintegration of the Kingdom in the 15th century. Neighbouring kingdoms exploited the situation and from the 16th century, the Persian Empire and the Ottoman Empire subordinated the eastern and western regions of Georgia, respectively.Tondo depicting Saint Mamas from the Gelati Monastery, 14th--15th centuriesThe rulers of regions, which remained partly autonomous, organised rebellions on various occasions. Subsequent Persian and Turkish invasions further weakened local kingdoms and regions.As a result of wars against the neighbouring countries the population of Georgia was reduced to 250,000 inhabitants at one point .