The Knight in the Panthers Skin (Georgian: ვეფხისტყაოსანი, romanized: vepkhistqaosani pronounced  literally the one with the skin of a tiger) is a Georgian medieval epic poem, written in the 12th or 13th century by Georgias national poet Shota Rustaveli.  A definitive work of the Georgian Golden Age, the poem consists of over 1600 Rustavelian Quatrains and is considered to be a masterpiece of the Georgian literature. Until the early 20th century, a copy of this poem was part of the dowry of every bride.


Although the poem takes place in the fictional settings of India and Arabia, events in these distant lands are but a colorful allegory of the rule of Queen Tamar of Georgia, and the size and glory of the Kingdom of Georgia in its Golden Age. It tells the friendship of two heroes, Avtandil and Tariel, and their quest to find the object of love, Nestan-Darejan, an allegorical embodiment of Queen Tamar. These idealized heroes and devoted friends are united by courtly love, generosity, sincerity, and dedication. The poem is regarded as the coronation of thought, poetic and philosophical art of medieval Georgia, a complex work with rich and transcending genres. It has been described as epic, chivalric romance, epic romance and epic poem of lyric poetry. Despite its formal complexity, it bears to this day the Georgian vision of the world.