Saint Anton Martqopeli

Anthony of Martkopi (Georgian: ანტონ მარტყოფელი) (died 6th century) was a Christian monastic saint. According to hagiography, he came from Syria. In his youth, he entered a monastery founded by the monk John and, as one of twelve chosen disciples, left the Syrian desert with him. Along with other monks from the community led by John, he subsequently lived on Mount Zaden (later Zedazeni), where he was recognized by the local population as a holy ascetic and miracle-worker. Later, at John's instruction, he left the mountain to travel to Kakheti with the monks Stephen, Joseph, and Zeno, where another of John's disciples, Bishop Abibos, was already active. In Kakheti, he settled in the Lonoat valley, where he founded a monastery. It quickly became a destination for pilgrims seeking Anthony's prayers and spiritual counsel. Seeking solitude, the monk left the monastery and lived on a pillar in the Akriani mountains. He lived this way for eighteen years. After his death, he was buried in the Lonoat monastery. He was known as the "Radiant Sun of the Stylites."