Old Tbilisi ( ka, ძველი თბილისი, ''dzveli t'bilisi'') was an administrative district (
raioni
A raion (also spelt rayon) is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet states. The term is used for both a type of subnational entity and a division of a city. The word is from the French (meaning 'honeycomb, department'), and is co ...
) in
Tbilisi
Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million p ...
, capital of
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
, from 2007 to 2013. Although the term "Old Tbilisi" has long been used to denote a historical part of the city, it was only in 2007 that it became a distinct administrative entity to incorporate several historical neighbourhoods formerly included in the districts of
Mtatsminda-Krtsanisi,
Isani-Samgori, and
Didube-Chugureti. The district was abolished in 2013, with its territories allotted to several other divisions of the capital.
History
Old Tbilisi is principally centered on what is commonly referred to as the Tbilisi Historic District, which, due to its significant architectural and urban value, as well as the threat to its survival, was previously listed on the
World Monuments Watch (1998, 2000, 2002).
The district is located on both sides of the
Kura River and is dominated by
Mount Mtatsminda,
Narikala
Narikala ( ka, ნარიყალა) is an ancient fortress overlooking Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, and the Mtkvari (Kura) River. The fortress consists of two walled sections on a steep hill between the sulfur baths and the botanical ...
fortress and the
Kartlis Deda monument. It chiefly represents a 19th-century urban fabric with largely eclectic architecture which includes the buildings and structures from the 5th to the 20th century. However, most of the pre-19th century city did not survive due to the devastating
Persian invasion of 1795. The only building that survived is La Residence Castle in Old Town, the only privately owned Castle in Georgia. Once a fortress before the Mongol invasions, it was from the 16th century the residence of the Persian Shah Administrator for eastern Georgia. The district houses a bulk of the tourist attractions in Tbilisi, including churches, museums, sulphur bathhouses, and peculiar wooden houses with open, carved balconies. In the 19th century, the core territory of the modern-day district of Old Tbilisi was tentatively subdivided into ethnic neighborhoods such as
Avlabari with its Armenian and Georgian quarters,
Alexanderdorf German quarter on the left bank of the Kura River and the Persian Quarter (Said-Abad) on the right bank of the Kura River.
Old Tbilisi has been the centre of a thriving art community with artist Giovanni Vepkhavadze known for specializing in painting many street scenes in the district.
New Life of Old Tbilisi
![View of Old Tbilisi01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fd/View_of_Old_Tbilisi01.jpg)
In 2010, the government of Tbilisi started a program initiated by
Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
Gigi Ugulava. The idea was to renew old and damaged houses and cobbled streets to make Old Tbilisi more attractive for tourists and visitors.
References
*Pickard, Robert (ed., 2001), ''Management of Historic Centres'', pp. 93–112, 275–286. Taylor & Francis, .
*''Urban
Rehabilitation Policy in Tbilisi (Georgia): Document''. prep. by the Technical Co-operation and Consultancy Unit, Directorate of Culture and Cultural and Natural Heritage,
Council of Europe Publishing,
Strasbourg 2002, .
External links
Old Tbilisi Official Website*{{in lang, ka}
Old Tbilisi The Government of Tbilisi.
Georgian Art Portal.
Georgian Photographical Heritage Research Center.
GWS official web pageThe Economist, A new look for Old Tbilisi Old Tbilisi Series of Paintings by Giovanni Vepkhvadze
Districts of Tbilisi
World Heritage Tentative List