Ashot I of Iberia was a 9th-century sovereign and the first member of the Bagratid dynasty to hold the office of presiding prince. Ruling from the Tao-Klarjeti region, he sought to expand his territories and secure Byzantine protection to counter Arab influence in the Caucasus. A dedicated supporter of Christian institutions, he helped shift the political and religious focus of the Georgian lands toward the southwest. He was eventually killed in the Nigali valley, where he was assassinated at a church altar.