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principal cities
Kutaisi: 241.100
Rustavi: 158.000
Batumi: 137.100
Zugdidi: 105.000 including IDP from Abkhazia
Chiatura: 70.000
Gori: 70.000
Poti: 50.900
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g e o r g i a |
Tbilisi
The capital of Georgia Tbilisi stands on the banks of the
River Mtkvari, in a valley surrounded by hills. The name for the city
derives from the word tbili (warm). It is best seen from the top of
Mount Mtatsminda. With its warm climate, stone houses built around
vine-draped courtyards, and winding streets, the city has a lively,
Mediterranean atmosphere which was even present during the Soviet period. The
old city, spreading out from the south bank of the river, has numerous frescoed
churches (the most noteworthy being the sixth-century Sioni Cathedral),
19th-century houses with arcaded open galleries on the upper floors, a castle
and a surprising number of cafés and enticing tourist shops selling locally
produced arts and crafts. Rustaveli Avenue, Tbilisi's main
thoroughfare, features an assortment of stylish public buildings testifying to
the city's prosperity at the turn of the century. The Georgian State Museum
on Prospekt Rustaveli houses a collection of icons, frescoes and porcelain, as
well as an outstanding display of jewellery discovered in pre-Christian Georgian
tombs. The Georgian Museum of Arts, in the centre of town, includes many
works by the much-loved 19th-century 'primitive' artist, Niko Pirosmani.
The Narikala Fortress, first established by the Persians in the fourth century
AD and most recently rebuilt in the 17th century, is a good vantage point for
views over the old city. Visitors can still experiment with health-giving
sulphur baths in a domed, oriental-style 19th-century bath house just north of
the Metekhi Bridge. Popular with visitors today, Georgian sulphur baths were
also frequented by writers such as Pushkin and Tolstoy. The open-air Museum
of Ethnography, located in a western suburb, has interesting examples of
rural buildings and artefacts. Davit Aghmashenebeli Prospekt is the base for the
Georgian State Philharmonic Orchestra and the internationally known
Georgian National Dance Troupe.
Mtkheta
Located 20km (12 miles) to the northwest of Tbilisi,
this town, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, predated Tbilisi as the capital of Ibera
until 5 century AD, and remained the centre of Georgian Christianity until the
12th century. The 15th-century Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (Pillar of
Life), standing at the confluence of the Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers, was the holiest place in old Georgia. According to legend, the church is
built on the spot where Christ's crucifixion robe was dropped to the ground in
AD328, having been brought from Jerusalem by a local Jew, and fragments of the
robe are said to be kept inside the cathedral. The existing church has some
impressive royal tombs, a fine icon stand and distinctive carved decoration,
including bulls' heads and semi-pagan fertility symbols. Also of interest are
the Samtavro Monastery (still functioning although founded in the 11th
century, it is famous as the burial place for the first Christian king, Mirian
and his wife Nana) and the sixth-century Jvari Cathedral, the design of
which became a prototype for Georgian ecclesiastical architecture.
Georgian Military Highway
Leading 220km (137 miles) from Tbilisi to Vladikavkaz
(formerly Ordzhonikidze) in North Ossetia (now part of the Russian
Federation), this route was built by the Russians in the 19th century to help
them control their conquered Georgian territories. The road winds through the
dramatic mountain scenery of the high Caucasus, apparently little changed since
the 19th-century novelist Lermontov described the route in A Hero of our
Time. Sites of interest along the road include the 14th-century Tsminda
Sameba (Holy Trinity) Church, overlooking the mountain town of
Kazbegi, and the city of Mtskheta (see above).
Gori
The birthplace of
Iosif Dzhugashvili, better known to the world as Stalin, lies 95km (59 miles)
west of Tbilisi. The town has the last surviving public statue of Stalin in the
former USSR, as well as a park and a museum devoted to Stalinist hagiography.
The latter has been 'temporarily' closed for several years, ostensibly for
renovation, but more probably to give the curators pause to decide how to
display their exhibition in view of prevailing attitudes to the local hero. It
also contains the ruins of a 12th-century fortress and a 16th-century church
dedicated to St George.
Uplistsikhe
Some 10km (6 miles) east of Gori is (Fortress of God), a large complex of
natural caves. Inhabited from the 6th century BC to the 14th century AD, the
caves were gradually transformed into increasingly sophisticated dwellings,
shops and public buildings, including the most ancient theatre in Georgia,
dungeons and enormous wine cellars. The Ateni Sioni Church, 10km (6
miles) south of Gori, stands in a beautiful setting and is highly prized for its
11th-century stonecarvings and frescoes.
Tori
The spa town of Bordzhomi, 150km (93 miles)
west of Tbilisi in the Tori region, produces
much acclaimed mineral water. It is possible to hike in the surrounding hills.
Bakuriani is located 29km (18 miles) southeast of Bordzhomi at an
altitude of 1700m (5580ft). Before the current breakdown of order, Georgian
tourist authorities were working to promote the Studarui on the Georgian
Military Highway as an international ski resort, proclaiming its clean air,
uncrowded slopes and marvellous setting. There is a luxury hotel complex run by
the same company that owns the Metekhi Palace in Tbilisi. 10km (6 miles) from
Bakuriani, heading towards Bordzhomi, is the 12th-century Daba Monastery,
and nearby a 60m (197ft) waterfall. During the summer it is also possible to
visit Lake Tabatskuri, sunk into a hollow high in the mountains.
Batumi
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A seaside resort and port in the southwest of the republic, Batumi is the capital of the
Ajarian Autonomous Republic. Close to the Turkish border (20km/12.5 miles) away,
the town has a decidedly Turkish character, with a mosque and 19th-century bath
house. However, its charm lies less in any particular sights than in its lush,
subtropical setting, among citrus groves and tea plantations, with mountains
rising up from the edge of the sea. The Ajarian Museum (with its superb
national costume collection), the circus, park, Botanical Garden and the
theatre are also well worth visiting.
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