Tbilisi (T'bilisi) - Gheos Worldguide

Tbilisi (T'bilisi, თბილისი)

Tbilisi used to be known as Tiflis before 1936. It was founded in the 5th century and it has always served as the capital of different Georgian kingdoms and republics. Nowadays it is a cosmopolitan city of about 1.5 million inhabitants. It sits on the Kura River, with some buildings at the top a an escarpment on its banks. Tbilisi is Georgia's cultural and economic center and the city is famous for its marvelous architecture and many historical monuments. Most buildings in the capital have red roofs and there are many interesting sights.

Very few buildings survived the city's destruction after Iran invaded the region in 1795, so most historical buildings in Tbilisi date to the Russian Imperial period (1801–1917) and Soviet times (1917-1991), although some of the old structures have been rebuilt. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, unregulated construction has dominated the city, but nowadays this problems seems to be under control.

Places of interest

Tbilisi Old City features countless beautiful old houses. It is one of the world's most scenic old towns.
The ancient Narikhala fortress (ნარიყალა), or Narikala fortress, was constructed and enlarged from the 4th to the 17th centuries. It sits on a steep hill between the sulfur baths and the botanical gardens, overlooking Tblisi. In its lower court is the church of St. Nicholas.
The Vorontsov's Palace, of House of Vorontsov, is also known as the Children's Palace. It was the home of the noble Vorontsov family during the 18th and 19th centuries.
The building of the Parliament of Georgia (საქართველოს პარლამენტი) includes the National Public Library. The library was originally founded in 1846.
The State Chancellery is another government building.
The building of the Supreme Court of Georgia (საქართველოს უზენაესი სასამართლო) dates from 1894.
The National Bank of Georgia (საქართველოს ეროვნული ბანკი) was established upon the country's independence in 1991.
Freedom Square.
The Bridge of Peace (მშვიდობის ხიდი) spans the Kura River. It is a pedestrians-only bridge and it was opened in 2010.
Rustaveli Avenue.
Agmashenebeli Avenue.
The Sulfur Baths.
There is an old Clock Tower in central Tbilisi. It was on the brink of collapse and it now supported by a steel construction.
Tbilisi's Botanical Gardens.
Tbilisi is renowned for its high class theaters, the most famous of which is the Paliashvili Opera House, founded in 1851. It is situated on the Rustaveli Avenue, one of Tbilisi's main arteries.
The pseudo-Moorish Opera Theater is another good theater.
Tbilisi Circus (თბილისის ცირკი) is housed in a Neoclassical building that was constructed in 1939, during Soviet times. It sits on a hilltop and overlooks Heroes' Square. The circus was founded in 1888.
The Marx-Engels-Lenin Institute building, or Imeli, was built in Stalinist architecture in 1938. It is currently home to the Biltmore Hotel Tbilisi.
The Ministry of Roads is another good example of Soviet architecture. It was built in 1975.
The Stalinist Wedding Palace dates from 1984.
The Chronicles of Georgia is a large monument, at the top of a hill. It can be reached by a series of wide concrete steps.
There are several modern skyscraper complexes in Tbilisi, including Axis Towers, Hilton Garden Inn Tbilisi Chavchavadze, Holiday Inn Tbilisi and King David Residences.

Religious buildings

Anchiskhati Basilica (ანჩისხატი) was consegrated in the 6th century, but construction and remodeling continued up to the 16th century.
The Church of Metekhi (მეტეხის ღვთისმშობლის შობის ტაძარი). The oldest parts of the church date from between 1278 and 1289. It sits on the left bank of the Kura River.
The Sameba Cathedral, or the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi (თბილისის წმინდა სამების საკათედრო ტაძარი), was built between 1995 and 2004. It is one of the world's tallest Eastern Orthodox cathedrals.
Construction of the Sioni Cathedral Church (სიონის ღვთისმშობლის მიძინების ტაძარი) took place over a period from the 6th to the 8th centuries. It was later rebuilt.
St. Nicholas church was opened in 1997. Originally, a 13th-century church stood there, but it was destroyed in a fire. The church is located in the lower court of the Narikhala Fortress.
There are several beautiful mosques in town.

Museums

The Art Museum of Georgia.
The Georgian National Museum.
The Giorgi Leonidze State Museum of Literature.
Kunsthalle Tbilisi was established in 2018.
The Museum of Modern Art was founded in 2012.
The Open Air Museum of Ethnography.
The Open Space of Experimental Art was founded in 2018.
The Writer's House of Georgia.

There are many hotels, open-air cafés, restaurants, bars and nightclubs in the capital. Tbilisi is in the southwest of Georgia and has good road and rail connections with nearby Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as with Russia and Turkey. T'bilisi-Noyo Alexeyevka Airport is Georgia's gateway to the rest of the world. The airport is 15 km southwest of the city center. Transportation within the city is mainly by bus and tram. There is a funicular between Chonkadze Street and Mtatsminda Park, which is situated 300 m higher and offers fantastic views over the city.