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TBILISI
– The Capital of Georgia
 Have
you been to a city where you can find Georgian Orthodox, Armenian
Gregorian and Roman Catholic churches, a synagogue, a mosque
and a Zoroastrian temple all within a 5-minute walk of each
other? Then you should definitely come to Georgia and visit
our capital Tbilisi – a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-religious
city on the crossroads of history, a city neither European
nor Asian but a heady blend of both east and west
Tbilisi was founded in the 5th century AD and has attracted visitors
ever since, drawn by the hot springs for which the city is
named, by the lively atmosphere of its cobbled streets and
caravanserais or simply by what Alexandre Dumas called the
“strange, fascinating charm” of this “city of legend and romance.”
The Old Town has much to offer. Take a stroll along
narrow cobbled streets, past traditional old houses with carved
wooden balconies, relax in the warm waters of the historic
sulphur baths and visit some of the city’s key historical
sites: Metekhi Church, Narikala Fortress, Sioni Cathedral
and Anchiskhati Church.
HIGHLIGHTS
The
Old Town
Rustaveli
Avenue
The
Georgian State Museum
The
Georgian Art Museum
The
Open-Air Museum. |
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Metekhi Church (13th century) with the equestrian statue
of the city’s royal founder standing above the steep cliffs
of the Mtkvari River is one of the classic images of Old Tbilisi.
Sulphur Baths
“A great sense of freedom and well-being permeated
me. All my tiredness had gone and I felt strong enough to
lift a mountain” – Alexandre Dumas, after a visit
to the sulphur baths in 1858.
Fed by naturally hot mineral waters, the sulphur baths have been an essential
part of Tbilisi life for centuries. Why not come and try it
for yourself?
 Narikala
Fortress, built in the 4th century on
a steep hill overlooking the river, predates even the founding
of the city itself. The Persian name Nari-Kala (“inaccessible
fortress”) has proven apt throughout the long centuries of
invasion and foreign domination, but today visitors are welcome
to climb up and enjoy the superb views from the citadel walls
Sioni Cathedral
(7th century) is named after Mt Zion in Jerusalem.
It is considered one of the most sacred places in the country
since it houses the holy cross of St Nino, the young woman
who converted Georgia to Christianity in the early 4th
century.
Anchiskhati Church
(6th century) is the oldest church in Tbilisi and
is named for an invaluable icon of the Saviour which was once
kept here and is now on display in the Georgian Art Museum.
 Rustaveli
Avenue was laid
out in the 19th century and is named after the
great 12th century Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli.
This busy street is now at the heart of 21st century
Tbilisi. A stroll will take you past the Moorish-style opera
house and the theatre, the Russian Viceroy’s palace and the
Parliament building, not to mention the dozens of cafes, restaurants
and shops you can find along the way.
The Georgian Art
Museum - As well
as a superb collection of Georgian, Russian & European
art, this museum houses a stunning treasury of mediaeval Christian
art - jewelled icons, inlaid crosses and some of the finest
cloisonné enamelwork in the world.
The Georgian State
Museum is home
to a unique collection of pre-Christian gold artifacts and
jewellery, including the tiny gold lion that has become almost
a symbol of the country. Here you can also see the skull of
the earliest inhabitant in Europe (1,7 million years old)
found in the village of Dmanisi. This is an unmissable museum!
The Open-Air Museum
of Georgian Folk Architecture - Original dwellings and homesteads have been brought here from all over Georgia
and lovingly restored in order to give us a glimpse of rural
life as it has been lived for many centuries. |
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