Off the map — How to get lost in Tbilisi

[Devil Soul]

Off the map — How to get lost in Tbilisi
ZAHRAH MAZHAR — PUBLISHED 19 MINUTES AGO
"The best way to see Tbilisi is to walk," Irakli, the owner of a cosy B&B in Old Tbilisi, shared this tip on our first day in the city, while handing us a map and completely dismissing the use of public transportation.

Tbilisi — the capital of Georgia — is a hilly city, divided into two parts by the Mtkvari River. The country is located at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia.

On a three-day sojourn in Tbilisi, we (my friend and I) were staying on the left bank in Avlabari, a quiet neighbourhood of the Old Town, close to the looming Sameba Cathedral.

Mother Georgia looking over the Old Town.

The old neighbourhood of Avlabari.

A park of the Metekhi Church on the Mtkvari River.

Sameba Cathedral.

Old Tbilisi.


Old Tbilisi extends all the way to the right bank, where the Mother of Georgia, an aluminium figure holding wine in one hand and a sword in the other, watches over the bustling district.

A number of bridges connect the two sides, among which is the Baratashvili Bridge, which led me and my friend to direction signs, all pointing to names we couldn’t find on the map.

Making out the word 'theatre', we followed one of the arrows into a narrow lane next to the plush Hotel Ambasadori. There, in the midst of the small alleys, stood a crooked clock tower by noted Georgian puppeteer Revaz "Rezo" Levanovich Gabriadze.

Resembling something out of Alice in Wonderland, the tower is covered with hundreds of intricate and colourful tiles designed by Rezo himself, who is also a famed writer, director, and artist.

Old Tbilsi.

The clock tower by Rezo is made to appear as if it is on the brink of falling down.

Colourful tiles designed by puppeteer Rezo adorn the clock.

 

[Devil Soul]

At the back of the tower is the Gabriadze Puppet Theatre, founded in 1981, and to its right is a namesake café, also decorated by Rezo that serves traditional Georgian food.

We sat in the cafe's summer terrace, gorging on the famous Georgian cheese-filled bread, khachapuri, while waiting for the tower’s angel to ring the bell with a small hammer.

Cafe Gabriadze.

Having cheese-filled khachapuri bread.


A few steps ahead of the theatre, we came across the Anchiskhati Basilica, the oldest surviving church (built in the 6th century) in the city.

Two things can be found in abundance in Tbilisi: old churches and homemade wine. The latter is offered generously as a sign of hospitality.

The city is deeply rooted in religion (Eastern Orthodox Christian) and the centuries-old churches still function more as a place of worship than a tourist attraction.

On the second day of our trip, we were pretty sure we'd taken a wrong turn — several actually — as we made our way through Old Tbilisi.

By midday, we had already seen the ancient Narikala Fortess (the cable car from Rike Park took us up the hill) and were now aimlessly wandering through a labyrinth of twisting streets — easily the best way to explore the city.

The streets of Tbilsi.

A view from the Narikala Fortress.


Years of invasions and civil war have left parts of Tbilisi in a dishevelled state, but as we walked through the Old Town, I found a disordered charm in its colourful houses, wrought iron gates and peering balconies.

The Bridge of Peace connects the left and right banks.


Along the way, we passed by the Sulfur Baths, the Bridge of Peace and upon arriving at the Sioni Cathedral, we finally opened up our maps to start on the agenda for the day: café hopping.

Tbilisi has some of the most unique art and vintage cafés, so we made it a mission to visit as many as we could. Most of these were obscure venues, but worth seeking out.

St. George Monument at Freedom Square.