Integral to visiting Georgia is understanding its past, its relationship with the Soviet and the West and its transformation post-revolution. I knew nothing of the recent riotous political history pre-arrival, knowledge that served to heighten the experience and unveil the place and her positive people.
Since the Rose Revolution of 2003 and the ousting of the post-Soviet government, Tbilisi has undergone a facelift, socially, culturally, economically and aesthetically. Stepping foot into the street provides testimony: lively arts scenes, 21st century restaurants and bars, modernised museums and contemporary architecture epitomise the new vogue in the city’s developing step. It’s not been at great cost, either: the city retains an ethereal old-world charm, redolent of bygone times and village life.
With a dramatic setting deep in a valley, Tbilisi became the centrepiece of my Georgian escape.
Here are a few reasons that may prompt you to consider visiting as well as a list of some suggested things to see in Tbilisi.
Unique Political History and Culture
Despite foreign occupation and Russia’s continuing attempts to influence the Eurasian country, it has fought hard and successfully retained a Georgian flair with a distinct national identity. At centre stage of the country’s tumultuous modern history was Tbilisi.
It was here that the Rose Revolution occurred, a 2003 fight against the former post-Soviet Government, a parliamentary ousting that resulted in the country’s enormous leap forward. Pay a visit to Rose Revolution Square and imagine the space filled with thousands of protestors, fighting for a new and improved Georgia.
The successful revolution marked the end of Soviet style leadership that had governed Georgia gloomily, shifting the country’s focus to a more democratically aligned government with pro-Western ideals.
Then there’s art. Walking Tbilisi’s streets, both new and old, paints a picture of Georgia’s rich art legacy. Sculptures, unusual architecture and galleries pepper the cityscape, indulging art enthusiasts and appreciators alike.
Affable Locals
At first glance, Georgians appeared serious, a little intimidating, frightening almost. It didn’t take long for the glacial exterior to melt away despite the winter weather, revealing a warm interior abounding in hospitality and kindness.
Guests are considered sacred to Georgians, exemplified by the help I received on a daily basis while walking the streets of Tbilisi and the country, further afield. Hospitality materialised particularly whenever food formed part of the social equation.
Sapid National Delicacies
The mention of Georgia never conjured images of delicious fare in my mind. However, it didn’t take long - following my arrival in Tbilisi - to realise how food forms a major part of the national culture. Two dishes stand out and should be savoured by all who are neither lactose intolerant nor celiac: khachapuri and khinkhali.
Built on a base of baked flat bread, the melted tangy cheese, whole egg yolk, butter filled khachapuri is calorific and divine. Then comes the spiced meat-filled dumplings that release meaty juices when cooked, so divine you’ll be ordering another plate of khinkhali before you’ve finished the first. Eating note: with the dumplings, ensure you flip them - holding them by the pinched nozzle - and bite gingerly into the dough. Proceed to suck the soup out through the hole that’s been created. Otherwise, it goes everywhere and half the flavour is lost.
There are innumerable dining options citywide so, do your research, pick a place, pull up a seat and indulge.
A Melting Pot of Eclecticism
From Old Tbilisi with its crumbling, rustic, village-like houses to art nouveau buildings and futuristic structures dispersed throughout the city, there’s little imagination required in appreciating the eclectic appearance. The diversity links to Silk Road times, Tbilisi a stop on the famous route, the genesis perhaps of its multicultural legacy.
Ambling through Tbilisi took me on a journey through time, past Persian style sulphur baths with turquoise mosaics, Armenian synagogues, crumbling mansions, cliff-hanging homes and the futuristic cylinders of the Music Hall. It’s this sense of diversity that, in recent years, has seen Georgia forge a prominent place on hot traveller trails.
The City’s Sights and Activities
The Old Town
Even with the facelift it has received in recent years, there’s an inherent charm to the antediluvian quarter that puts it at the top of Tbilisi itineraries. I spent a day getting lost on cobblestones, ambling past rustic squares, crumbling homes, endearing eateries and vine covered brick walls. Areas are ramshackle and crumbling, with equal measures of beguilement and enchantment. With a mix of Arabic, European, Russian and art nouveau architecture, there’s always an aesthetic to catch your eye.
Enjoy wandering along the labyrinth of narrow streets, with old-brick homes and wooden balconies for company.
Mother Georgia via Cable Car or Uphill Trek
Overlooking the city is an oracular statue of Mother Georgia - aka Kartlis Deda, a 20-metre aluminium figure erected in 1958. Symbolic of the nation, the items in her hands represent key elements of the Georgian character - hospitality and stoicism. Come as foe and suffer at the hand of the sword. Come as friend and expect cordial hospitality (and a little inebriation), indicated by a bent arm, holding a bowl, lapping with local wine.
I walked up the hill, via an entrance located near the Botanical Gardens, past the fortress to the enigmatic structure, before looping back to the fortress.
Alternatively, you could cross the river and take the cable car.
Narikala Fortress
Close to Mother Georgia, the fourth century fortress sits high on a hill and overlooks the city, both the new and the old.
It’s a symbol of Tbilisi’s defence, an ancient artefact linked to the city’s genesis. Damaged and repaired several times throughout history, most of the fortifications I saw date to the 12th century.
Antiquity aside, the location provides some of the best panoramas of Tbilisi.
Sulphur Baths in Abanotubani District
Strip down and lather up at an ancient bathhouse in the Old Town. Nudity is requisite to the visit, so prudes: you’ve been warned. Choose from a communal shower (where men and women are separated) or a private room (with domed roofs and intricate mosaics). I opted to embrace Georgian life like a local, so ventured into the communal shower.
After paying a fee, I took the towel graciously issued, descended the stairs and unrobed. Steam billowed around the shower room, a host of naked male bodies – both young and old - vigorously washing every nook and unhidden cranny of bare flesh under the collective shower heads. I joined in, then paid the masseuse a seemingly-inflated fee for a full scrubdown and massage.
It couldn’t have been more authentic and provided needed relief from the sub-zero winter temperatures outside. The rotten-egg smell does linger, but knowing the water comes from a pure source underground makes it bearable, as does the relaxation that ensues following a vigorous scrubdown.
Peace Bridge
A little newer than the fortress, the marine-like bridge that crosses the Kura River is a link between Downtown and Old Town, yet another reminder of Tbilisi’s eclecticism and forward-thinking momentum. Built in Italy and transported to Georgia on 200 trucks, its construction caused controversy, particularly given the juxtaposition to more traditional city structures.
It lit up at night during my stay, thanks to 1208 LED lights and provided a spectacular show from the hill.
Holy Trinity Church of Tbilisi
Even though it’s the youngest of the city’s many ecclesiastical structures, it’s perhaps the most impressive. Constructed in 2004, Sameba Cathedral is 87.1 metres tall and boasts nine chapels, a large nave and a gold gilded cross that’s responsible for the final seven metres of the height. It was built to commemorate 2000 years since the birth of Jesus Christ and, thanks to its height, a glisten radiates from its dome, making it visible from far and wide.
Upon arrival, there were thousands of people, dressed in black, swarming out of the cathedral’s front doors.
As I waited to the side, the open coffin of a body was carried through the street, ceremony associated with the death of an apparently famous Georgian. It helped me appreciate the importance of the cathedral to the city and religion to the people of Georgia.
Reflections on Georgia
There you have a few compelling reasons to visit Georgia and, rather than rush to the country’s more panoramic locations, spend a few days in the emerging capital. It took me by surprise and left me with a hankering to return. It was both the faces and the places that left a lasting impression.
