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Old Town Tbilisi

Old towns ·Tbilisi
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Old Town Tbilisi, the historic core of Tbilisi beside the Kura River, with 5th-century churches and wooden-balconied houses.

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Old Town Tbilisi — Old Town rooftops and Narikala Fortress at dusk

Old Town Tbilisi — Old Town rooftops and Narikala Fortress at duskOld Town Tbilisi — Colorful historic houses clustered around Vakhtang Gorgasali SquareOld Town Tbilisi — Old Town hillside above the riverfront and busy roadOld Town Tbilisi — Domed roofs of the Orbeliani sulfur bathsOld Town Tbilisi — Pedestrian lane through Old Town with traditional balconiesOld Town Tbilisi — Narrow Old Town street lined with brick buildings and balconiesOld Town Tbilisi — Quiet cobbled alley between weathered historic buildingsOld Town Tbilisi — Historic Old Town street with a church tower in the distanceOld Town Tbilisi — Old Town street climbing between traditional housesOld Town Tbilisi — Restored Old Town house with ornate wooden balconiesOld Town Tbilisi — Outdoor café courtyard beside traditional Old Town buildings

Why go

  • The sulphur baths of the Abanotubani quarter, dating from the 17th century
  • The Sioni cathedral, dating from the 5th century
  • The Metechi church, dating from the 13th century
  • The wooden balconies of the two- and three-storey brick houses
  • The caravanserai, built in the 19th century on 17th-century foundations, with cafés and the Ioseb-Grischaschwili-Museum

Tips for your visit

  • Schardeni-Straße: small former bazaar houses now hold art galleries and jewellery shops.
  • Barataschwili-Straße: parts of the old city wall survive along the street.
  • Mount Mtatsminda, Narikala fortress and the Kartlis Deda monument dominate the district, so they help you find your way around.
  • Churches, museums, sulphur bathhouses and wooden houses are all in the same district, so one visit covers most of the sights.

Best time to visit

  • Summer: the wooden balconies become the centre of family life, so the houses are at their most lived-in.

Interesting facts5

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  1. Artist Giovanni Vepkhavadze painted many of the district's street scenes.

    Old Tbilisi - Wikipedia

  2. La Residence Castle is the only privately owned castle in Georgia.

    Old Tbilisi - Wikipedia

  3. The old town has a mosque and a synagogue beside its historic churches.

    Altstadt (Tiflis) - Wikipedia

  4. Gorgassali-Platz was once the gathering point for camel caravans.

    Altstadt (Tiflis) - Wikipedia
  5. 300 Aragwinern

    A 23-metre stele across from the memorial wall honours 300 Aragwinern who died saving Irakli II from encirclement.

    Altstadt (Tiflis) - Wikipedia

Shorts

History

The old core was built in the 5th century. The castle was a fortress before the Mongol invasions. La Residence Castle is the only building that survived. In the 19th century the district was rebuilt, but its winding streets and medieval layout were kept. The first restoration came in 1934, one of few such projects in the Soviet Union.

  1. 13th centuryThe Metechi church is built.
  2. 16th centuryThe castle becomes the residence of the Persian Shah's administrator for eastern Georgia.
  3. 1795An invading army takes the city and destroys most of it. Only La Residence Castle survives.
  4. 19th centuryThe district is rebuilt on its old winding streets. The caravanserai is built on 17th-century foundations.
  5. 1934The first restoration of the old town begins.
Show all
  1. 1975The area is officially declared a historic district.

Sources: Old Tbilisi - Wikipedia · Altstadt (Tiflis) - Wikipedia · checked 25 Oct 2026

Where
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Questions and answers

Where is Old Town Tbilisi?

It lies in the city centre of Tbilisi, on the right bank of the Kura River. Mount Mtatsminda, Narikala fortress and the Kartlis Deda monument dominate the district.

What is there to see in Old Town Tbilisi?

The district holds churches, museums, sulphur bathhouses and wooden houses with carved balconies. The Sioni cathedral and the Metechi church are among its churches.

Are there sulphur baths in Old Town Tbilisi?

Yes. The sulphur baths of the Abanotubani quarter date from the 17th century. Tolstoi, Puschkin and Alexandre Dumas visited them and praised them.

Is there a castle in Old Town Tbilisi?

La Residence Castle stands in the old town. It is the only privately owned castle in Georgia.

Are there a mosque and a synagogue in Old Town Tbilisi?

Yes. The old town has a mosque and a synagogue beside its historic churches, which belong to many faiths.

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