A great queen who led the Kingdom of Georgia into its Golden Age. In the 12th century, Queen Tamar ruled the Kingdom of Georgia in the Caucasus. Though a woman, her people crowned her "King" (Mepe). Through political skill and resolve, she transformed a fractured realm into a powerful kingdom stretching from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea. Tamar's reign began amid unrest. Nobles challenged her legitimacy, and her deposed first husband, the Rus' prince Yury, twice rebelled to reclaim the throne. Tamar crushed the uprisings and strengthened her rule through marriage to the Alan prince David Soslan, a loyal husband and gifted commander. Foreign powers soon tested Georgia as well. When the Sultanate of Rum invaded with an overwhelming army, Tamar prayed barefoot at Vardzia before sending her troops into battle. Using the Caucasus terrain to their advantage, the Georgians routed the enemy at Basiani with a brilliant flanking attack. Tamar also excelled in diplomacy and culture. She expanded Georgia's influence over Trebizond, promoted legal reform, and abolished torture and the death penalty. Under her patronage, Georgian culture flourished, ushering in a golden age remembered for centuries under the rule of the "King of Kings and Queen of Queens".