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'.
Pushkin Square
Abanotubani (Historical Sulfer bath quarter)
Once Upon a time in the 5th century AD, when Mtskheta was the capital of Georgia, our king Vakhtang Gorgasali (wolf-head) was hunting, King’s falcon caught/injured a pheasant during the hunt, after which both birds fell into a nearby hot spring and they were boiled. This lead to a discovery of the hot springs and, subsequently, to the founding of new capital. The name Tbilisi is derived from the word Tbili- warm (from sulfuric hot springs).
Tbilisi Sioni Cathedral/ სიონის ღვთისმშობლის მიძინების ტაძარი
Here Alexander Griboyedov and Nina Chavchavadze got married and one of the most important shrines of the country is kept - the cross of St. Nina, the enlightener of Georgia.
Metekhi St. Virgin Church
The main sanctuary of the temple is the tomb of St. Shushanik. After the ecclesiastical split between the Armenians and the Georgians at the beginning of the 7th century, Catholicos Kyrion transferred the remains of the saint from the small town of Tsurtavi to the Metekhi temple. The remains of the Holy Queen are in the deacon's place. It is known that Queen Tamar adorned the body of the Blessed Queen with gilded clothes and paid special homage to her.
The temple is located on a cliff above the Kura River, and from here you can enjoy a wonderful view of Tbilisi.
Baratashvili Avenue
At the beginning of Baratashvili Street – there is a fragment of so called “Dighomi Door” wall, which is one of historical gates of Tbilisi. A part of Old Tbilisi neighboring street is filled with modernized buildings: old, brick arched cellars are functioning as exhibition halls and restaurants. There is a “wedding house” in one of the old Tbilisi buildings. There is a children’s art gallery in this row – the Museum of Puppets and in front of the museum, there is a multi-figured sculptural composition “Berikebi” (sculpture group 'Berikaoba')– depicting a group of dancing actors. There are some more monuments in the street – statues of XII century Georgian philosopher Ioane Petritsi and the author or first reconstruction of old Tbilisi, architect Shota Kavlashvili.
The Bridge of Peace / მშვიდობის ხიდი
Bridge connects the old and new parts of the city.
Bridge is considered one of the 13 most amazing bridges in the world.
Rike Park | რიყის პარკი
Statue of Ronald Reagan
Narikala Fortress
Today Narikala is a park along which powerful high walls stretch over the covered slopes. Some of them look very good, but for the most part the fortifications are destroyed - the blast of the powder warehouse in 1827 is to blame.Also, the fortress includes the Church of St. Nicholas, erected in 1996 in accordance with the canons of ancient Georgian temple architecture on the foundation 12 century.