Tbilisi is an ancient city waiting to be discovered right next to us. Places to visit in Tbilisi attract European and Asian tourists, as well as Turks. In particular, the reasonableness of Tbilisi flight tariffs, the fact that Georgia does not require a visa, and the Georgian currency GEL, which is a more advantageous currency compared to the EURO, increase its preferability. Now, let’s review the places to visit in Tbilisi and their details for the Tbilisi Travel Guide.
You can access the current EURO-GEL value here.
I have been to Tbilisi twice. On my first visit, it was similar to other Soviet cities; While I was expecting a city smaller than Minsk or Kiev, Tbilisi welcomed me with its unique atmosphere. (They are so committed to their culture that they did not dissolve even within the Soviet Union.) I think the most enjoyable time to explore Tbilisi is May and June. The rain stops, and the weather is warm in May and June:)
You can visit the Tbilisi page to get general information about Tbilisi.
OLD TOWN OF TBILISI, WHICH SMELLS NAPHTHALENE
The old residential area of Tbilisi, where old brick houses with wooden balconies and narrow streets like a labyrinth are located at the foot of the hill bordered by Narikala Castle, is one of the top places to visit in Tbilisi 🙂
Doors lead to secret courtyards containing ancient vines used to climb into the sky. The harmony of enthusiastically renovated buildings surrounds my soul; it makes me feel in the middle of a movie set, but not everything has been restored. That’s why it’s distorted, cracked, and crumbling, but also enjoyable, fascinating, and realistic. The residential area includes the narrow, winding streets of Asian or Arab towns. It blends European, classical Russian, and Art Nouveau architecture. That being the case, the old city is one of the must-see places in Tbilisi.
TBILISI BOTANICAL GARDEN
The royal gardens of ancient times turned into an arboretum over time. It is said that it was founded in 1845, based on its current appearance. Tbilisi Botanical Garden has more than 3500 plant species, both local and international, spread over an area of 128 hectares. While the Leghvtakhevi Waterfall used to be accessible only from the botanical garden, you can now reach it by passing the sulfur baths and bay-windowed houses. There is also a waterfall. It’s not a big waterfall, but you can see it when you pass by 🙂
Bonus: If you are one of those who cannot give up on sports even during your holidays, it is an ideal place to do running, walking and yoga. You can escape from the crowds of the city, grab your coffee and be alone with your book 🙂
SULFUR BATHS
Abanotubani Region, which means Bathing Region, is a historical region from ancient times known for its sulfur baths. The interior of these bathrooms, whose domes appear close to the ground, is not very large. Due to Tbilisi’s location on the Silk Road, it was a stopover point not only for locals but also for travelers traveling between Europe and Asia. It is rumored that more than 60 baths were in use in the 13th century. Today, only 7 of them are open. During the Tsarist period, it was a place where rich families came to receive treatment and vacation. At that time, all the rumors spread from here 🙂
Political turbulence during the Soviet Era and the first years of independence caused constant power cuts, heating interruptions, and difficulty finding hot water. It was a luxury to use sulfur baths as a place to both warm up and wash in harsh winter conditions.
Bonus: Perhaps the most remarkable moment in the history of the baths was the visit of the poet Alexander Pushkin in 1829. On a panel at the entrance of the Orbeliani Baths, it is mentioned that Pushkin found the baths very luxurious. The room where Pushkin stayed is now called the A. Pushkin Suite.
JUMAH MOSQUE
This mosque, built in 1895, is the only mosque in Tbilisi. It’s on the way to the Botanical Gardens. Today, the mosque is a place where Sunni Muslims, especially rare Shiite communities, perform their worship. I entered from the women’s side and went upstairs. The interior of the mosque is simply furnished and airy.
NARIKALA CASTLE
Located on the hills opposite the Sameba Church in Tbilisi, overlooking Tbilisi and the Kura River, the castle was built by King Davis in the 4th century. Panoramic views of the Silk Road (the road curves from here to Kars and even passes through the Ani Ruins) can be seen from the walls of the castle. Narikala, meaning small, was expanded by the Umayyads in the 7th century.
Everyone recommends taking the cable car up to the castle and walking down to walk through the old town. I went up on foot to see Ateshgah and walked down the narrow roads of the old city to pass through the houses with bay windows 🙂
When you take the cable car, there is the Kartlis Deda statue on your right, and the walls of the castle and the parts under restoration are on your left. It offers a great view to see the city panoramic. That’s why it is among the top 10 places to visit in Tbilisi 🙂 The cable car departs from the Peace Bridge.
St. Nicolas Church, located at the bottom of Narikala Castle, was built in the 13th century but was destroyed by a fire. It was rebuilt in 1990, and its current form emerged.
KARTLIS DEDA
The 20-meter-high statue of a woman in traditional clothing, erected on Sololaki Hill in the 1500th year of Tbilisi’s founding, seems to have taken on the protection of the city. In one hand of the statue, which is considered to best symbolize the Georgian character, he has a big bowl to offer wine to those who come as friends (there is an olive branch on his head, which indicates that he is peaceful), and a sword in his other hand to use against those who come as enemies.
I also think it symbolizes two women who left their mark on the country’s history. The left hand symbolizes St. Nino’s forgiveness; the right hand symbolizes the power of Tamara, the Queen of Queens. The strength with which he holds the sword, the aesthetics with which he holds the bowl, and the nobility of his stance are truly fascinating. At the same time, her body is quite feminine.
5th CENTURY ZOROASTRIAN TEMPLE
According to the information written at the foot of the temple, Zoroastrianism existed in Georgia between the 5th and 7th centuries. It started to spread between centuries, and as a result, this temple was built during the Sassanid period. 17th-18th. It is estimated that it was converted into a mosque over the centuries. Its name at that time, “Ateşgah,” is still used. It was protected by the law on cultural heritage in Georgia, but today it is just a wall.
Bonus: Zoroastrianism or Zoroastrianism, is the world’s oldest monotheistic revealed religion, founded by Zoroaster in Iran 3500 years ago. It was the religion of the 3 great Persian Empires from approximately the 6th century BC to the 7th century AD.Those who believe in this religion are called Zoroastrians and believe that they will be resurrected after death and appear before Ahura Mazda and be questioned there.
Today, while there are only about 30,000 Zoroastrians in Iran, the country where the religion was born, the country with the largest number of Zoroastrians is India. This community, which left the country and settled in India after the conquest of Iran by the Islamic armies, is called Parsi, referring to its geographical origins.
Zoroastrianism and Buddhism are among the beliefs whose philosophical aspects also come to the fore. The basis of Zoroastrianism lies in the battle between good and evil. Zarathustra believes that the fight on earth is between the spirit of god and the spirit of the devil, and every believer must fight for good. Ahura Mazda, who is considered God in Zoroastrianism, is symbolized by the “Lord of Mind”, while Ahriman represents the forces of evil and the struggle between good and evil begins at this point.
Natural elements are considered sacred and these elements (water, earth, air, and fire) are protected from contamination. Related to this, worship is performed by looking at fire, light or the Sun.
METEKHI CHURCH
Metekhi Church, where Queen Tamara opened her hands and said, “O Lord, make us successful against the Arabs” before the Battle of Shamkori in 1195, had unfortunate events, but it was restored by the rulers of the period and put into use again and again.
Soviet Chief Lavrenti Pavlovich Beria wanted the church to be demolished. The stubborn opposing intellectual group, led by the painter Dmitry Shevardnadze, opposed this situation.
Thereupon, Beria said that if they gave up their stance, he would turn part of the church into a museum. He said to Shevardnadze, “I will make you the director of the museum.” Shevardnadze, who refused the duty, was first imprisoned and then executed. The frescoes inside were covered with plaster and were used as a theatre. The church was preserved but lost its soul. It is currently open for religious services and serves the public.
The equestrian statue of Vantang I. Gorgaslan, the King who founded the city, was erected in front of the church in 1961. He greets everyone who passes by 🙂
Bonus: Evropis Square is the square located below the Metekhi Church and is the meeting area for daily tours. Rike Park is a popular promenade area for families and tourists, created later in the city center of Tbilisi 🙂
QUEEN DAREJAN PALACE (SACHINO)
The palace, which is a typical Georgian structure of the 18th century, was built for Daria in 1776 upon the order of Erekle the Second. Daria (also known as Darejan or Dadiani) was queen of the Kolkheti Consortium from July 20, 1738, to November 8, 1807, and later of Kartli-Kakheti in Eastern Georgia. Daria was the third wife of Erekle the Second (also known as Heraclius the Second). She had 23 children with the king 🙂 It is said that Daria was a very despotic woman, and she influenced the king.
PEACE BRIDGE
One of the two main structures built in the city after the collapse of the Soviet Union is the Peace Bridge (the other is the Sameba Church). Tbilisi is a city of bridges. Over the Kura River passing through the middle, there are mostly stone bridges and bridges suitable for transportation by car. The Peace Bridge, on the other hand, is designed to be used by pedestrians in a curved shape made of glass and steel (unlike the architecture of the rest of the city) over the Kura River.
The bridge was purchased from the Italians in 200 unassembled parts. The 156-meter-long bridge is illuminated with more than 10 thousand LEDs. The LEDs pulse for 90 minutes before sunrise, encoding a message in Morse code. The message consists of the chemical elements found in Mendelev’s periodic table that make up the human body. The message that Italian designer Michele De Lucchi wants to give is “the anthem of life and peace between people and nations.”
It was built to connect with the 21st century and to show that we are not left behind by the world, rather than to combine the old and the new and to symbolize the city’s opening up to the modern world.
According to some, it didn’t fit with the city. According to some, it isn’t bad. The crowd that opposed it while it was being built got used to it after a while. In 2012, the bridge ranked 13th on the list of extraordinary bridges in the world. It can be seen in more detail from above as you take the cable car.
Bonus: Dmitriy Mendelev (February 8, 1834–February 2, 1907) was a was a Russian chemist and inventor. He formulated the Periodic Law and created a visionary version of the periodic table of elements. He used it to correct the properties of some previously discovered elements and to predict the properties of eight yet-to-be discovered elements.