History of Tbilisi

The history of Tbilisi spans over 1,500 years, a rich tapestry where legend and reality intertwine to shape the soul of Georgia’s vibrant capital. According to a well-known myth, in the distant year of 458 CE, King Vakhtang I Gorgasali was hunting in the dense woodlands along the banks of the Kura River. During the hunt, he wounded a pheasant—or a deer, according to another version—which fled to a nearby hot sulfur spring. As the animal bathed in the steaming waters, it miraculously healed. Struck by the spring’s curative powers, the king decided to build a city on the spot. Thus was born Tbilisi, whose name is rooted in the Georgian word for “warm.” Today, the city’s iconic sulfur baths, still nestled in the old town, stand as living echoes of this founding tale.

Yet, as enchanting as this legend is, the actual story is far more grounded. The earliest written mention of Tbilisi as a fortress above the river dates back to the 4th century CE. At that time, a Persian citadel already existed here—later known as the famed Narikala Fortress—while the seat of the Georgian monarchy remained in Mtskheta, just 20 kilometers away. King Vakhtang’s enduring legacy lies in his 5th-century conquest and restoration of the Persian stronghold and his decision to relocate the royal capital to this promising site. Archaeological evidence, however, reveals that the territory had been settled long before, with traces of human habitation going back to the 4th millennium BCE.

Across the river, another fortress arose—Metekhi—which today houses the church of the same name and a monument to King Vakhtang, the city’s legendary founder. This fortress became the residence of Georgia’s subsequent rulers. During this formative era, Tbilisi was enclosed by strong defensive walls, and the Anchiskhati Basilica—one of the few ancient structures still standing—was built. However, Georgian control proved short-lived; in 626, the city was seized by the Persians, who treated it as a strategic northern outpost. This ushered in a period of cultural fusion, as Zoroastrian and Christian traditions coexisted. One relic of this era—the Ateshgah, a Zoroastrian fire temple—still survives, though hidden within a private residence and invisible to passersby.

Persian rule was brief. In 653, the Arab general Habib ibn Maslama marched into the Caucasus. The transition was bloodless, but Tbilisi and the broader Georgian territory fell into vassalage, bound to pay tribute in exchange for the Arabs’ protection and respect for local temples and faiths. That delicate balance ended in 736 when a more militant Arab commander, Marwan II ibn Muhammad, conquered the city and founded the Emirate of Tbilisi. Yet, beyond the city, Arab control faltered. Tbilisi stood alone as a Muslim enclave in a predominantly Christian region. The Emir’s ambitions to break away from the larger Abbasid Caliphate failed, prompting a devastating retaliatory campaign. The Christian population was forced to flee—many seeking refuge in Abkhazia.

A turning point arrived in 1122 with the triumphant entry of King David IV, known as David the Builder. He recaptured Tbilisi and declared it the capital of a newly unified Georgia. Revered for his reconstruction efforts, David earned his enduring epithet. Yet he ruled with remarkable tolerance—Muslims were not persecuted, and people of various faiths coexisted peacefully. Under his reign, Tbilisi flourished, emerging as a major center of trade and craftsmanship across the Caucasus.

This era became known as the city’s Golden Age. Its wealth and prominence, however, soon drew the gaze of conquerors. In 1226, the Khwarezmian Sultan Jalal ad-Din Mangburni plundered Tbilisi, and in 1238, Mongol forces under Genghis Khan followed. Waves of devastation swept the city. In 1366, the Black Death reached Tbilisi, and twenty years later, the army of Tamerlane ravaged it. Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, control of the city repeatedly shifted between Persian and Ottoman hands. These centuries were a crucible of suffering, yet Tbilisi endured.

By the 18th century, Tbilisi had become a pawn in the power struggles among the Russian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and Persia. Georgian rulers faced impossible choices. Ultimately, they chose to ally with Russia, leading to the signing of the Treaty of Georgievsk. Yet, this alliance brought unforeseen consequences. In 1795, Persian forces attacked, sacking and nearly destroying Tbilisi. It was only then that Russia recognized the region’s strategic significance. In 1800, Georgia was formally annexed by the Russian Empire, marking the beginning of a new chapter in the city’s evolution.

The 19th century was a time of steady growth for Tbilisi. New enterprises emerged, trade routes expanded, and the population swelled. The city developed into the cultural capital of the Caucasus, attracting renowned writers, poets, and artists from Russia and Europe. Modern innovations—such as the telegraph, an opera house, and the Transcaucasian railway—further elevated Tbilisi’s status. The only major tragedy during this period was the 1827 earthquake, which destroyed many older buildings. As a result, most of what remains of Old Tbilisi today dates from the 19th century.

In the early 20th century, Tbilisi became a hub of revolutionary activity. It was here that a young Georgian revolutionary—Joseph Stalin, born in the nearby town of Gori—began his clandestine career. In 1918, following the collapse of the Russian Empire and amid fierce struggles between political factions, Georgia declared its independence with Tbilisi as its capital. Yet, this autonomy proved short-lived, and Georgia was soon absorbed into the Soviet Union. Grand architectural projects commenced, but many religious landmarks were also demolished during the Soviet era. During World War II, several factories were relocated to Tbilisi from western Russia, bolstering the city’s industrial base in the postwar period.

The closing decades of the 20th century were marked by turbulence. Following Georgia’s declaration of independence from the Soviet Union, Tbilisi retained its status as the capital, but the country plunged into chaos. Regions refused to recognize the authority of the central government, uprisings erupted, and Tbilisi became the backdrop to several tragic events. In the early 21st century, the city witnessed the famous Rose Revolution. Only in the most recent years of modern history has Tbilisi returned to a state of peace and stability.