Tbilisi, the capital of legends

Many people describe Tbilisi as the city of kindness in the far east of Europe.

Let us start from the legend about it.

Gorgasali's legend

Our great king Vakhtang Gorgasali once hunted in the forests near Mtskheta, the first capital of Georgia. By the way, Mtskheta was the capital city for 800 years before they moved it to Tbilisi. So, while he was hunting, he saw a pheasant and killed it. After a shoot, he sent a falcon to find the prey, which was also lost. The king started to search for birds, and he found them dead in hot water. Gorgasali was shocked when he found this natural source and decided to found a city there, as he liked the location very much.

Abanotubani district, Tbilisi

Abanotubani, Tbilisi, Γεωργία

Sulfur baths

Until nowadays, we have sulfur baths in the old city, with some of them opened recently. This water is very healthy for the skin and all tourists go there to try it. Even the name of the city of Tbilisi comes from there (“Tbili” means “warm”). So, it is a city of warm sources. In the past, in these sulfur baths mothers used to go to choose wives for their sons. It was a tradition to check the beauty and health of future daughters-in-law.

The Mother of Georgia

For all Georgians, mothers and in general women are very important. This is a men’s main tradition and understanding of respecting women. That is why in Tbilisi you will see the statue of Mother of Georgia, which is very worthy for all of us. We call it “kartlis Deda”. Before, it was made of wood, but because everybody loved it, then they made it from strong metal and periodically started renewing it. She is holding a sword in the right hand, which is for enemies and a cup of wine in the left hand, which is for friends. Why is she holding the wine in the left hand? Because we believe that this hand is nearer to heart and we express our love towards our friends like that. So if you travel to Georgia as a friend, you will get a warm hello and a tasty wine from us.

As there is much more to say about this city, I will bring you some new insider stories in the articles that will follow.

Kartlis Deda

Tbilissi, Géorgie