Old Tbilisi

Old Town neighbourhoods

• Kala — the former walled city: Sioni, Anchiskhati, Shardeni Street and Kote Abkhazi Street (formerly Leselidze).
• Abanotubani — the bath quarter at the foot of Narikala, the brick domes of the sulphur baths.
• Sololaki — 19th-century streets with grand entrances, painted hallways and balconies.
• Metekhi and Avlabari — the left bank: Metekhi Church above the cliff and the old Armenian quarters.

More about each neighbourhood — on the pages Abanotubani and Narikala.

History

According to legend, Vakhtang Gorgasali was hunting here in the 5th century when his falcon fell into a hot spring, and the king decided to build a city. “Tbili” means “warm”. Tbilisi became the capital in the 6th century under Vakhtang’s son, King Dachi.

The city changed hands many times — Arabs, Seljuks, Mongols, Persians, Turks — and each left a trace: Georgian and Armenian churches, a synagogue and a mosque stand side by side here. The hardest blow came in 1795, when Agha Mohammad Khan burned the city. The neighbourhoods took on their present look in the 19th century, and in the 2010s the streets and façades were extensively restored.

Main sights

• Anchiskhati — a 6th-century basilica, the oldest surviving church in Tbilisi.
• Sioni Cathedral — one of the city’s main churches, founded in the 6th–7th centuries and rebuilt many times.
• Gabriadze Theatre clock tower — a deliberately crooked tower from 2010: every hour an angel rings the bell, and at 12:00 and 19:00 there is a short puppet show, “Circle of Life”.
• Metekhi — a 13th-century church above the Mtkvari and the equestrian statue of Vakhtang Gorgasali (1967).
• Bridge of Peace — a glass pedestrian bridge from 2010 between the Old Town and Rike Park.
• Shardeni — a pedestrian street of cafés and wine bars.

Full list with addresses — in the article “What to see in Tbilisi: 40 places”.

Best time to visit

The best months are April–May and September–October: 18–25 °C and little rain. Summer can reach 38–40 °C, and winter is mild, 0–8 °C. Walking is more pleasant in the morning and evening; save Narikala for sunset.

Tips and safety

• Flat shoes: cobblestones and steep climbs.
• In churches women need a headscarf and skirt, men long trousers.
• The best light for photos is in the morning and an hour before sunset; in the evening the neighbourhoods are lit up.
• Enter the courtyards of residential buildings quietly — people live there.
• Tbilisi is one of the safest cities for tourists; the centre is calm even at night.
• Be more careful on the dark streets of Sololaki, and watch your wallet at the markets.