About the city - Tbilisi

Tbilisi was founded in the middle of the 5th century by King Vakhtang Gorgasali. Tbilisi was named for its springs – the Georgian word for ‘warm” is Tbili. Tbilisi has survived over 40 invasions by the Persians, Arabs, Mongols, Seljuk and Ottoman Turks, and tribes from the North Caucasus, but has always been able to rise again. In 1801 Georgia was occupied by Russia and Tbilisi became the administrative center of the Georgian Province, and later the headquarters of the Commander in Chief of Russian forces in the Caucasus. Since 1875 it was the residence of the governor general of the Caucasus.

During the early nineteenth century Tbilisi gradually transformed from a medieval feudal town into a European bourgeoisie city. In the second half of the 19th century the Georgian theatre resumed its activities, and a Russian theatre and Italian opera house came into being. In addition, a public library, a museum and botanical garden and observatory were founded. The city’s population kept growing, leading towards the establishment of new districts. In 1918 Tbilisi became the capital of independent Georgia, but in 1921 the red army crushed the new Republic. After 70 years, in 1991, Georgia regained its independence and the ancient city of Tbilisi is the capital of present day Georgia.