The Church of St Augustine in Old Goa, part of the Churches and Convents of Goa Unesco World Heritage site, holds a deep connection to Queen Ketevan of Georgia, a martyr and saint in the Georgian Orthodox Church. This ancient religious site has a rich and compelling history, entwined with the story of Queen Ketevan’s devotion and sacrifice during the 17th century.
Queen Ketevan was the consort of the Kingdom of Kakheti, a Georgian monarchy located between the powerful Ottoman and Safavid Empires. In 1613, Safavid ruler Abbas the Great launched a campaign to conquer Kakheti. As part of an attempt to prevent war, Ketevan’s son, King Teimuraz I, handed over his mother and his two sons to the shah as hostages. However, the agreement was broken, and a bloody conquest ensued. Ketevan was imprisoned, repeatedly asked to convert to Islam and join the shah’s harem. She refused and was ultimately executed in 1624 after years of imprisonment and torture.
Her legacy was kept alive by two Catholic missionaries from Goa, who, according to legend, befriended the queen during their time in Iran. After her death, the missionaries secretly brought Ketevan’s right arm back to Goa for burial, paying tribute to her steadfast faith.
The Church of St Augustine, which once stood as one of the largest churches in Asia, was abandoned in the 1830s when Portuguese colonists expelled the Augustinians from Goa. The church slowly fell into ruin, with only a towering bell tower left standing today.
In 2005, archaeologists discovered several sets of bones on the site of the church, sparking a search for Queen Ketevan’s remains. In 2013, Dr. Niraj Rai and his team, using DNA analysis, confirmed that one set of bones belonged to a woman of Georgian descent, likely the queen herself. The remains were officially returned to Georgia in 2021, marking the end of a centuries-old mystery.
Queen Ketevan’s story is one of unwavering faith, friendship, and sacrifice, leaving a lasting impression on both locals and visitors to Goa. The ruins of the Church of St Augustine continue to draw tourists eager to learn about this remarkable tale and the rich cultural history of the region.
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