CITY DESTINATION: Tbilisi in Georgia, the Country

CITY DESTINATION: Tbilisi in Georgia, the Country

By Jorge Jefferds April 2, 2016

The journey along the ex-Communist countries is endless in the eastern corner of Europe. There is a country called Georgia, whose landscapes and history are far from being similar to those of Georgia State in the USA. In this territory of approximately 69,700 square kilometers (26,911 sq mi), and with a population of about 3.75 million, Tbilisi is the point of start of an amazing tour through the capital of various Georgian kingdoms and republics. Under the Russian rule, from 1801 to 1917 Tiflis was the seat of the Imperial Viceroy governing both sides of the entire Caucasus.

Located on the southeastern edge of Europe, Tbilisi's proximity to lucrative east-west trade routes often made the city a point of contention between various rival empires throughout history and the city's location to this day ensures its position as an important transit route for global energy and trade projects. Tbilisi's varied history is reflected in its architecture, which is a mix of medieval, classical, and Soviet structures.

Historically, Tbilisi has been home to people of diverse cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, though it is overwhelmingly Eastern Orthodox Christian. Notable tourist destinations include cathedrals like Sameba and Sioni, classical Freedom Square and Rustaveli Avenue, medieval Narikala Fortress, pseudo-Moorish Opera Theater, and the Georgian National Museum.

Let’s take a look at some of the many interesting sights. 

Narikala is an ancient fortress overlooking Tbilisi, and the Kura River. The fortress consists of two walled sections on a steep hill between the sulphur baths and the botanical gardens of Tbilisi. On the lower court there is the recently restored St Nicholas church. Newly built in 1996–1997, it replaces the original 13th-century church that was destroyed in a fire. The new church is of "prescribed cross" type, having doors on three sides. The internal part of the church is decorated with the frescos showing scenes both from the Bible and history of Georgia. The fortress was established in the 4th century as Shuris-tsikhe (i.e., "Invidious Fort"). It was considerably expanded by the Umayyads in the 7th century and later, by King David the Builder (1089–1125). The Mongols renamed it "Narin Qala" (i.e., "Little Fortress"). Most of extant fortifications date from the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1827, parts of the fortress were damaged by an earthquake and demolished.

The Narikala Fortress

The Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi, commonly known as Sameba, is the main cathedral of the Georgian Orthodox Church. Constructed between 1995 and 2004, it is the third-tallest Eastern Orthodox cathedral in the world and one of the largest religious buildings in the world by total area. Sameba is a synthesis of traditional styles dominating the Georgian church architecture at various stages in history and has some Byzantine undertones.

Sameba Cathedral

The National Botanical Garden of Georgia, formerly the Tbilisi Botanical Garden, stands in the Tsavkisis-Tskali Gorge on the southern foothills of the Sololaki Range (a spur of the Trialeti Range). It occupies the area of 161 hectares and possesses a collection of over 4,500 taxonomic groups. Its history spans more than three centuries. It was first described, in 1671, by the French traveler Jean Chardin as royal gardens which might have been founded at least in 1625 and were variably referred to as "fortress gardens" or "Seidabad gardens" later in history. The gardens appear in the records by Joseph Pitton de Tournefort (1701) and on the Tbilisi map composed by Prince Vakhushti (1735). Pillaged in the Persian invasion of 1795, the garden was revived in the early 19th century and officially established as the Tiflis Botanical Garden in 1845. From 1888 on, when a floristic center was set up, Yuri Voronov and several other notable scholars have worked for the Garden. Between 1896 and 1904, the Garden was expanded further westward. Between 1932 and 1958, the territory around the former Muslim cemetery was included in the botanical garden. Several graves have survived, however, including that of the prominent Azerbaijani writer Mirza Fatali Akhundov (1812-1878). The central entrance to the Garden is located at the foothills of the Narikala Fortress. The other, cut through the rock as a long tunnel in 1909-14, had been functional until the mid-2000s when the tunnel was converted into Georgia’s largest nightclub "Gvirabi".

Tbilisi Botanical Garden

The Anchiskhati Basilica of St Mary is the oldest surviving church in Tbilisi, belongs to the Georgian Orthodox Church, and dates from the sixth century. As a three-span basilica, the building was divided by two abutments forming horseshoe shaped conches, which indicates the antiquity of its construction. Originally constructed of blocks of yellow tuff stone, the 1958-1964 restoration made extensive use of brick. The structure has entrances on three sides, but today only the western entrance is in use. Besides the altarpiece that was painted in 1683 by the order of Catholicos Nikoloz Amilakhvari, all of the remaining paintings in the church date back to the 19th century.

Anchiskhati Basilica of St. Mary

Even though, time is so short to visit the wholeness of the tourist places, you might be interested in finishing your day riding the Tbilisi Funicular. In 1900 the city government commissioned the Belgian engineer, Alphonse Roby, to perform the construction. The 500 meters long line was opened in March 1905. It consisted of three stations, the lower on today’s Chonquadze Street in the city, the "Pantheon" stop near the Mtatsminda Pantheon, and "Mtatsminda", at the top of mountain. It was closed in 2000 following an accident, but reopened in 2012 after a comprehensive reconstruction project that renovated the stations and replaced the drive mechanism, rails, cars and safety equipment. A single ride is 2 Lari (approximately 1 dollar), but you also need to purchase a rechargeable card (valid for Mtatsminda Park, as well). This one in particular costs 2 Lari, but is not refundable. Cars run every 10 minutes from 11:00 to 19:30.

For more information about this amazing city, visit http://www.info-tbilisi.com.