Tamar the Great, reigning from 1184 to 1213, was a significant monarch of Georgia, marking the peak of the Georgian Golden Age. As the first woman to rule the nation independently, she was notably referred to by the title "mepe" or "king," emphasizing her authority. Tamar ascended to the throne as a co-ruler with her father, George III, in 1178, facing initial resistance from the aristocracy upon her sole ascension after her father's death.

Throughout her reign, Tamar successfully quelled opposition and implemented an aggressive foreign policy, benefiting from the weakening of the Seljuk Turks. Her strategic marriages first to the Rus' prince Yuri, and after their divorce, to the Alan prince David Soslan, were pivotal, bolstering her rule through alliances that expanded her dynasty. Her marriage to David Soslan produced two children, George and Rusudan, who succeeded her, continuing the Bagrationi dynasty.

In 1204, under Queen Tamar of Georgia's rule, the Empire of Trebizond was established on the Black Sea coast. This strategic move was supported by Georgian troops and initiated by Tamar's relatives, Alexios I Megas Komnenos and his brother David, who were Byzantine princes and refugees at the Georgian court. The founding of Trebizond came during a period of Byzantine instability, exacerbated by the Fourth Crusade. Tamar's support for Trebizond aligned with her geopolitical goals of extending Georgian influence and creating a buffer state near Georgia, while also asserting her role in protecting Christian interests in the region.

Under Tamar's leadership, Georgia flourished, achieving significant military and cultural triumphs which expanded Georgian influence across the Caucasus. However, despite these achievements, her empire began to decline under the Mongol invasions shortly after her death. Tamar's legacy persists in Georgian cultural memory as a symbol of national pride and success, celebrated in arts and popular culture as an exemplary ruler and a symbol of Georgian national identity.