GEORGIA - TBILISI
Tbilisi is
the capital city of the country of Georgia. The city lies along the Kura
(Mtkvari) river. The former Turkish name of Tbislisi was “Tiflis”. With
more that 1.345 million inhabitants, the city covers an area of 350 km²
(135 square miles).
As capital
of the former Soviet state Georgia, Tbilisi is an important industrial,
social, and cultural center. It is nowadays emerging as a major transit
route for global energy/trade projects ( for example : the
Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Pipeline). The city is located along one of the
historic Silk Road routes and plays an important role as a trade/transit
center due to its strategic location at the crossroads between Russia's
North Caucasus, Turkey, and the Transcaucasian republics of Armenia and
Azerbaijan.
Although the cityscape is characterised by smallish red roofs and old
town houses, Tbilisi has a distinctly cosmopolitan feel. Tbilisi is
famous for its historical monuments and gorgeous architecture, which
include the Sioni Cathedral Church that dates from the 5th century and
the ancient Narikhala fortress . Visitors can also take in the local
theatre scene. Three of the city's most famous and long-established
theatres are situated in Rustaveli Avenue, including the Paliashvili
Opera House , founded in 1851
In recent
times, Tbilisi is known for the peaceful Rose Revolution which took
place around the city's Freedom Square and nearby locations, after
falsified parliamentary elections of 2003 led to the resignation of the
Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze.
