Tag: Tbilisi
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Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi
The Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi, completed in 2004, and paid for by Georgian billionaire, Putin ally, and former president Bidzina Ivanishvili. (Georgia’s Donald Trump?)
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Tbilisi Bridge
Tbilisi is a beautiful juxtaposition of old (the city pre-dates written history, and has many structures that are thousands of years old) and new. There are a number of modern steel and glass structures sprinkled throughout the city.
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Window to the Old World
Overlooking Mtskheta, the Holy City of the Georgian Orthodox Church (founded ~500 BC) from the Armaztsikhe fortress (built in ~300 BC)
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Anchiskhati Basilica, Tbilisi, Georgia
This is the oldest standing church in Tbilisi, built in the early 6th century and repaired numerous times in the 15th-17th centuries as a result of numerous invasions of the Persians and Turks into Georgia. These numerous repairs are the reason for all the different building you see.
In the background you can see the ultra-modern Presidential Palace, completed in 2009.
Bonus picture: this beautiful domed ceiling was installed and painted in 1870:
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Sunrise on Tbilisi
Although our first few days were overcast and gloomy, by Thursday we were treated to a couple really spectacular sunrises. This one was shot from the balcony of our AirBNB apartment. Thanks to Becky Hotchkiss for removing a really obnoxious power line that went right through the middle of the shot.
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Woman Selling Churchkhela
In Georgia, you’ll find older women all over selling churchkhela (pronounce chooch-clear your throat-ella), a snack consisting of nuts on a string dipped into thickened grape juice and dried into a tasty treat.
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Confluence of the Kura and Aragvi Rivers
This area, Mtskheta, the ancient capital of Georgia, has housed human civilization since before the beginning of recorded time. It served as capital until the 5th century, when they moved the capital a few miles down the road to Tbilisi.
The Georgians are an amazingly resilient people. Due to their extremely valuable location between Europe and Asia at the base of the Caucasus Mountains, the most attractive overland trade route, they have been invaded over 40 times since the beginning of recorded history, yet, every time, they pick themselves back up and rebuild.
This entire area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
