The Magic and Mayhem of Tbilisi
Tucked into the embrace of the Caucasus Mountains and split by the sinuous Mtkvari River, Tbilisi is the capital of Georgia. It really is a city of paradoxes, think ancient and modern, chaotic and serene, traditional and avant-garde. Tbilisi wears its scars and triumphs openly in crumbling stone facades that sit shoulder-to-shoulder with modern glass and chrome.
If cities were cocktails, Tbilisi would be something smoky, spiced and served in a cracked crystal goblet garnished with a flourish of the unexpected. The city does not tidy itself up for tourists, it does not try to be beautiful, nor does it try to impress. However it is beautiful and it does impress which makes this interesting city extremely charming.
Past, Present and Preservation
Founded in the 5th century by King Vakhtang Gorgasali and legend says named after the hot springs which still flow beneath, “Tbili” means “warm” in Georgian. Tbilisi’s location was strategic, being at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. Its history reads like a catalogue of conquests and cultural exchanges. It has been ruled, razed and rebuilt by Persians, Byzantines, Arabs, Mongols, Russians and Soviets. Each left something behind be it a fortress, a church, a bathhouse, a street name or a recipe.
Tbilisi’s history is not preserved behind velvet ropes, it is patched into the fabric of everyday life. A sixth century church may neighbour a brutalist Soviet tower, which may now house an avant-garde art collective. A crumbling mansion with carved wooden balconies might have a techno bar in the basement and a grandmother selling sunflower seeds out front. Preservation here is less about polish and more about coexistence which you will find everywhere.
Chaos and Culture
Tbilisi is undeniably scruffy where plaster peels and balconies lean. Cats outnumber people. This city makes decay look good, think shabby chic on an epic level.
Wrought-iron staircases curl like tendrils in stairwells heavy with history. Chandeliers hang inside buildings where the ceiling is decidedly dodgy. Pockmarked stone facades carry hand-painted signs and potted plants spill out of old coffee tins on rickety tables.
Just as you get used to the wear and tear, the city blindsides you with elements of opulence and elegance. This could be a dazzling Art Nouveau entry, a glittering gateway, a pristine courtyard garden behind an otherwise unremarkable stone wall. Tbilisi does not try to be perfect, the very essence of the place is a messy mash up of the old and the new.
Murals and Music
Walking around Tbilisi is like wandering through an art installation which occasionally breaks into song. Expect the unexpected round each corner and you might find an outdoor piano set into the wall. Enter the subways and you are surrounded by giant murals of saints, warriors or surrealist dreams alongside Georgia’s political history.
As you pass through the streets with their impressive but tumbledown balconies, laundry lines strung across crooked courtyards you will find elegance and decay, fine art and street art, classical music and techno beats. You may hear Tchaikovsky floating from an open window because you have just passed a ballet school in what you assumed was an empty, abandoned building.
Music is ever present in this buzzy, vibrant city. Classical concerts take place in centuries-old churches. Jazz spills out from underground bars. DJs spin vinyl behind bar counters. Then you may hear someone belt out a Georgian polyphonic tune spontaneously, it could be on a rooftop, in a park or even beside you as you walk the streets.
Paintings and Puppets
Culture is the soul of the city and its Museum of Fine Arts has some amazing artwork such as Vladimir Kandelaki’s House of Cards, Davit Monavardisashvii sculpted figures on chairs and Eduard Shakhnazarov’s bronze figures. The National Museum of Georgia has quite a mix of exhibits including prehistoric relics, costumes and, as you would expect, an exhibition simply called “The Occupation”.
However, it is the uniqueness of the city that is the most interesting. For example the Rezo Gabriadze Marionette Theatre is a delightful dusty space filled with mechanical theatre toys for your entertainment. It is fronted by the leaning clock tower of Tbilisi which animates the street with a quirky puppet show on the hour and a regular evening performance in the theatre itself.
Marketplaces, Memories and Military Memorabilia
Shopping in Tbilisi is an adventure in itself and the real action is on the sidewalks. The Dry Bridge is a flea market in the extreme: a treasure trove or a pile of junk, depending on your perspective. Expect anything and everything such as antique cameras, vintage silverware, vinyl records, Soviet gas masks and musical instruments (which may or may not work) and all proudly displayed on blankets laid out on the ground by their vendors.
Others will have tables creaking with fruit, cigarettes, herbs and homemade wine. There may be hand-embroidered napkins for sale beside second hand shoes. There may be army medals next to rusty guitars. Although you think you are at a market, it is more like a memory bank with a cash box.
And then there are the storefronts. Or more accurately front doors or front rooms that have become storefronts. They may sell second-hand books, antiques, dolls, homemade lemonade or even Soviet era telephones.
Cafes and Cats
There are many cafés and restaurants to choose from and as well as promising traditional Georgian fayre, there really is something for everyone with may European and Asian options available.
Many eateries proudly fly the Georgian flag which depicts the red cross of St George, their revered patron saint. Most have lounge-style tables and chairs set outside with their colourful fringed rugs for tablecloths and comfy big cushions for a more relaxed experience. Fresh flowers often spill out from window boxes making curtains over the windows, or the pianos, or the vases on the table. In the evenings, soft fairy lights are woven into frames of climbing foliage which make a lovely atmosphere as you enjoy your dinner.
Be prepared for lots of feline company, cats are everywhere! They may weave around your legs, jump next to you, because you have taken their seat, or they may even be brave enough to venture onto the table. Often there will be a queen with her kittens and although initially cautious under Mum’s watchful eye, they really just want to invite you to play and have fun. They may be half-heartedly shooed away by the waiting on staff, but they know that you really are happy in their company.
Repainted and Repurposed
Tbilisi is not for everyone, it is chaotic, layered, even baffling. It is a place where beauty comes from within. It is the alchemy of all these things which make it special in the way chaos becomes culture and decay turns into delight.
This is a city that is still writing, re-writing and recycling itself one mural, one market stall, one piano note at a time.
