Tbilisi City Tour

One of two old fortresses that defended the river and baths.

The Kura River and the sulfur baths of the Abanotubani area.

Metekhi Church from the 12th Century.

The remains of the old city wall.

Views of the city on a rainy day from the top of the gondola ride.

Portrait of King Erekle II (1720-1798), in the National Museum, the last and strongest king of Georgia before the Russians invaded.

The cafe street where we had lunch on a damp day.

The Tbilisi Clock Tower.

Anchiskhati Basilica...

and its interior.

Sioni Cathedral from the 12th century...

and the interior...

and the frescos...

and dome and chandelier...

and priest on the phone.

Thursday, May 15th.

Tbilisi, has been the capital of Georgia since the 5th century AD, and has a long and fascinating history. Founded in the 4th century by King Vakhtang Gorgasali on the site of its warm mineral-water springs, it developed into the main city of the Caucasus. The Kura River flows between two hills here where the king could build fortresses on each for a commanding view of the city making it easy to defend. By the 12th century Tbilisi was one of the more important political, economic and cultural centres of the region, a key stop on the famous Silk Road on the border between Europe and Asia. Tbilisi's Old Town, the most ancient part of the city, is renowned for its wonderful mix of cultures and the city has mosques, synagogues, Armenian and Roman Catholic churches all mingling harmoniously with the splendid Georgian churches and architecture. Unfortunately for us, today was very overcast and it began to rain in the late morning. However, we were prepared with rain gear and umbrellas. The balmy sulfur baths have hosted poets, writers, musicians, and kings down through the centuries. The multi-ethnic markets with a large variety of produce and languages, give the city an Eastern, cosmopolitan feel. We explored much of the old town by foot, starting at the Metekhi Church from the 12th century, and Abanotubani, the area famous for the sulphur baths. We took the cable car across the river to see the scenic views of the city from the higher level. We visited the National Museum which had a very interesting exhibit about the Soviet Occupation. Then we had lunch in a local restaurant. After that we walked to a lovely clock tower and a really old Orthodox church. Finally we walked to Sioni Cathedral which was originally constructed in the 12th century but reconstructed again in the 18th. We were allowed to take photos inside of the beautiful frescos. Then we walked back to the hotel for a break. Surprisingly the weather didn’t really ruin the day and we didn’t get too wet, although it goes without saying that the day and views would have been enhanced with sunshine. John and I wound up spending the day inside the hotel as it was pouring out and we didn’t feel like venturing out. We did think about a visit to the hotsprings but they were booked up for the day and not particularly cheap. So we just hunkered down and did computer stuff, read, he watched a movie, we had a bit of red wine leftover from the other night and then we visited Pauline and Sherril in the bar, but didn’t stay long before going off to bed.