The Georgian capital Tbilisi is a hospitable city full of joy. It is located on the banks of the Kura River, at the intersection of the main trade routes between Europe and Asia. Previously, up to a year - 1936, Tbilisi was called Tiflis, but its current name is due to the hot sulfur springs: 'tbili' means 'warm' in Georgian. The name 'Tiflis' still remains in Turkish
Everyone who enters the local streets inevitably feels the spirit of ancient history: the city was founded in the 5th century.
It is believed that Tbilisi appeared in 458, during the reign of King Vakhtang Gorgasal. In addition to Tbilisi, Vakhtang founded several more cities, but all in Kakheti. The history has not kept details. The chronicles write briefly: he built a city. The popular consciousness has retained a more vivid picture of what is happening: there is a famous legend about how King Vakhtang hunted a pheasant here and discovered sulfur springs.
Over the centuries of its existence, Tbilisi has repeatedly been subjected to raids, arson, and devastation, but each time it came back to life. Today the city continues to develop rapidly, carefully preserving its unique culture.
The most interesting areas are the Old Town, Avlabari, and Mtatsminda, where the main attractions and the most expensive hotels with restaurants are located. The rest of the city is actively being built up with new houses and does not represent significant historical value.
The heart of Tbilisi is the Old City, or, as it is also called, Kala, which has existed since the 5th century. This is the area between the Kura river embankment and the Narikala fortress, protected by fortress walls in ancient times.
It is in the Old City that the main attractions of the Georgian capital are concentrated: the Zion Cathedral, the Anchiskhati temple, the Narikala fortress with perfectly preserved towers and the Church of St. Nicholas. There are also legendary sulfur baths and Baratashvili Avenue with unusual sculptural compositions, the most famous of which depicts folk dances 'berikaoba'.