Tbilisi (all images)

Tbilisi is the capital of Georgia. With 1.1 million inhabitants 30% of the population of Georgia live there. The city is located at 400m-500m of altitude in the southeast of Georgia on the banks of the Kura river and has its own international airport. While the area has been inhabited since the 4th millenium BC, the city was only founded in the 5th century. Initially the capital of Eastern Georgia/Iberia, it became the capital of a unified Georgia in the 12th century. Over the course of the centuries Tbilisi was occupied, sacked or destroyed multiple times, which is why not many old buildings are left today. The centre of the city consists to a large extent of Russian/Soviet era buildings; in the historic core below the Narikala fortress new buildings were erected on the foundations of medieval buildings. The historic core is a pleasant are with many shops and restaurants.