When we think of an alphabet, we typically picture a single, stable set of letters used to write a language. The English alphabet has its 26 letters, Cyrillic has its variations, but the core system is one. The nation of Georgia, however, offers a fascinating and beautiful exception. Tucked away in the Caucasus, this ancient culture doesn’t just have one unique script—it has three. Known as Asomtavruli, Nuskhuri, and Mkhedruli, these “three sisters” represent a living, evolving tradition of writing that is so unique it’s been recognized by UNESCO as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

These are not three separate alphabets for different languages; they are three distinct scripts that have been used to write the Georgian language throughout its history. Each has its own form, function, and story, and together they weave a rich tapestry of national identity, faith, and resilience.

A Divine Gift or a Practical Evolution? The Origins

The story of the Georgian alphabet is shrouded in a mix of legend and scholarly debate. National tradition, recorded by medieval chronicler Leonti Mroveli, attributes its creation to the semi-mythical King Pharnavaz I of Iberia in the 3rd century BC. While a beautiful story that roots the alphabet deep in the nation’s founding, modern scholarship generally points to a later origin, likely linked to Georgia’s Christianization in the 4th century AD.

Linguists see influences from Greek and Aramaic scripts, but the Georgian alphabet is no mere copy. It was a conscious act of creation, designed specifically for the unique sounds of the Georgian language. And its first form was a masterpiece of design: Asomtavruli.

The First Sister: Asomtavruli – The Majestic “Capitals”

Imagine a script carved in stone, each letter a statement of permanence and beauty. That is Asomtavruli (ასომთავრული). Its name translates to “capital letters”, and its appearance lives up to the title. Asomtavruli is a unicameral script, meaning it has no distinction between upper and lower case. All letters are the same height, fitting perfectly between two horizontal lines. They are characterized by their stately, rounded forms and geometric precision.

Dating back to at least the 5th century AD, Asomtavruli was the script of monuments and religious manuscripts. The oldest surviving inscriptions, like the one found at Bolnisi Sioni Cathedral (dated 493 AD) or early mosaics in Palestine, showcase its monumental grace. Writing in Asomtavruli was a deliberate, artistic act—not something you’d use for jotting down a quick note. Its primary role was epigraphic and liturgical, lending a sense of sanctity and authority to whatever it expressed.

• Appearance: Symmetrical, rounded, unicameral (all letters the same height).
• Period: 5th to 9th centuries (primary), but used for titles and decoration later.
• Use: Monumental inscriptions, religious manuscripts, and titles.

The Second Sister: Nuskhuri – The Ecclesiastical “Minuscule”

As the need for written texts grew, particularly within the Georgian Orthodox Church, the beautiful but slow-to-write Asomtavruli became impractical for producing extensive manuscripts. A faster, more efficient script was needed. From the 9th century, a new sister emerged: Nuskhuri (ნუსხური).

Nuskhuri, meaning “minuscule” or “ecclesiastical”, was a deliberate evolution. It streamlined the rounded forms of Asomtavruli into more angular, slanted letters that were quicker to write with a reed pen on parchment. Unlike its older sister, Nuskhuri was a minuscule script, with clear ascenders and descenders that broke the two-line boundary.

Crucially, Nuskhuri did not immediately replace Asomtavruli. Instead, they began to work together in a bicameral system known as Khutsuri (ხუცური), or “clerical script”. In religious texts written in Khutsuri, Asomtavruli was used for titles, chapter headings, and the first letter of a paragraph—much like we use capital letters today—while Nuskhuri was used for the main body of the text. This elegant partnership dominated Georgian religious writing for centuries.

• Appearance: Angular, slanted, minuscule (with ascenders and descenders).
• Period: From the 9th century, used alongside Asomtavruli.
• Use: The body text of religious manuscripts, legal documents, and correspondence.

The Third Sister: Mkhedruli – The Secular “Military” Script

If you visit Georgia today, the script you will see everywhere—on street signs, in newspapers, on your restaurant menu—is the third and youngest sister, Mkhedruli (მხედრული). Its name means “of the cavalry” or “military”, hinting at its origins outside the church, in the world of civil administration and secular life.

Evolving from the cursive forms of Nuskhuri from around the 11th century, Mkhedruli is a beautifully flowing and dynamic script. Its letters are rounded, with many looking like graceful, looping ribbons of ink. Like Asomtavruli, it is technically unicameral, with no formal upper or lower case. (While modern typography often uses larger, bolded letters for headings, these are just scaled-up versions of the same letters, not a distinct set of capitals).

For centuries, Mkhedruli coexisted with the Khutsuri script. The church continued to use Asomtavruli and Nuskhuri for its sacred texts, while the state and the general populace used Mkhedruli for royal charters, historical records, poetry, and personal letters. By the 18th century, however, the printing press had arrived in Georgia, and Mkhedruli was adopted as the universal standard, eventually pushing the Khutsuri script into an exclusively liturgical role.

• Appearance: Highly rounded, dynamic, with flowing curves. Unicameral.
• Period: From the 11th century, becoming the universal standard by the 18th.
• Use: All modern Georgian writing.

Three Sisters, One Living Culture

What makes the story of the Georgian alphabets so remarkable is that the older sisters never truly died. The UNESCO designation specifically recognizes the “living culture of three writing systems”, acknowledging that all three scripts still hold a place in Georgian society.

Today, Mkhedruli is the undisputed workhorse, the face of modern Georgia. Yet, a walk through Tbilisi or a visit to an ancient monastery reveals the enduring presence of its siblings. The Georgian Orthodox Church continues to be the primary guardian of the Khutsuri script. Liturgical books are still printed using Asomtavruli for titles and Nuskhuri for the text. Iconographers carefully paint the names of saints in the majestic Asomtavruli script, its ancient forms conferring a sense of timeless holiness.

For Georgians, these three alphabets are far more than just writing systems. They are a profound symbol of a culture that has weathered invasions and maintained its unique identity for millennia. The elegant curves of Mkhedruli, the angular piety of Nuskhuri, and the monumental grace of Asomtavruli are not just letters on a page—they are the visible soul of a nation, a continuous story told by three beautiful sisters.