Last updated on December 20, 2023.

Outside of Old Tbilisi, I walked down Rustaveli Avenue to get a look at the more modern parts of the city. I generally stayed along the busy street but wandered off it to see a few things.

Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi, Georgia
Rustaveli Avenue
Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi, Georgia
Rustaveli Avenue

 

Freedom Square

I started at Freedom Square (Tavisuplebis Moedani). On one end is the beautiful city hall building and in the center is a tall monument with St. George on the top. In the same spot, a monument to Lenin once stood.

Tavisuplebis Moedani in Tbilisi, Georgia
Freedom Square
Tavisuplebis Moedani in Tbilisi, Georgia
Freedom Square
St. George monument in Tbilisi, Georgia
St. George monument

 

Orbelianis Square

From there I took a little detour along the city walls to Orbelianis Square (Orbelianis Moedani), a nice square with a fountain. Then I walked back towards Rustaveli Avenue past the Museum of Georgia. I was really hoping to have some time to visit it, but unfortunately that didn’t happen. It seems like there are some really interesting exhibits inside and I will definitely make time for it on my next visit.

Orbelianis Moedani in Tbilisi, Georgia
Orbelianis Square
Museum of Georgia in Tbilisi, Georgia
Museum of Georgia

 

Old Parliament of Georgia

Across the street from the museum is the old Parliament of Georgia. It was built by the Soviets between 1938 and 1953 and completed by German POWs. A Soviet massacre of 20 Georgian hunger strikers took place here on April 9, 1989, and on the same day two years later, Georgia declared its independence on the same spot. The new parliament building is located in the city of Kutaisi, 231km away.

Old Parliament of Georgia in Tbilisi, Georgia
Old Parliament of Georgia

 

School Number 1

Next door to the old parliament is School Number 1, a school founded in 1802 for children of Georgian nobility. It was reconstructed after being destroyed in fighting in 1991-92.

School Number One in Tbilisi, Georgia
School Number One

 

Kashveti Church

Across the street sits the Kashveti Church. The first church on this site was built in the 6th century and the current church was built in 1910. I spent a few minutes inside. It’s nice to stop into.

Kashveti Church in Tbilisi, Georgia
Kashveti Church
Kashveti Church in Tbilisi, Georgia
Kashveti Church

 

Mount Mtatsminda

I then took a detour and walked uphill about 20 minutes to the Mamadaviti Church on the slope of Mount Mtatsminda. The church was built in the 1850s on the site of the hermitage of St. Davit Gareja. It has a very somber mood on the inside.

Mount Mtatsminda in Tbilisi, Georgia
Mount Mtatsminda
Mamadaviti Church in Tbilisi, Georgia
Mamadaviti Church
Mamadaviti Church in Tbilisi, Georgia
Mamadaviti Church

The Georgian National Pantheon is below and next to Mamadaviti Church. It contains the graves of many important Georgians. The views of the city are spectacular from up there. Further up at the top of the mountain is an amusement park and restaurant accessible by funicular.

Georgian National Pantheon in Tbilisi, Georgia
Georgian National Pantheon
View from Mamadaviti Church in Tbilisi, Georgia
View from Mamadaviti Church

 

More Buildings

From there, it was back down to Rustaveli Avenue to walk to Rustavelis Square. On the way, I saw some interesting buildings, but none more interesting than the Moorish style Paliashvili Opera and Ballet Theatre.

Paliashvili Opera and Ballet Theatre in Tbilisi, Georgia
Paliashvili Opera and Ballet Theatre
Paliashvili Opera and Ballet Theatre in Tbilisi, Georgia
Paliashvili Opera and Ballet Theatre

 

Rustavelis Square

I finally made it to Rustavelis Square (Rustavelis Moedani), a very busy square with lots of traffic, a McDonald’s and Starbucks, and the Georgian National Academy of Sciences. The academy was established in 1914. The tower reminded me of a smaller, less ornate version of La Giralda in Sevilla.

Rustavelis Moedani in Tbilisi, Georgia
Rustavelis Square
Georgian National Academy of Sciences in Tbilisi, Georgia
Georgian National Academy of Sciences

 

Tbilisi Concert Hall

I walked to the Tbilisi Concert Hall down Kostava Street to see more architecture, and back up through some of the streets uphill from Rustavelis Square. That ended an exhausting day of exploring Tbilisi.

Tbilisi Concert Hall in Tbilisi, Georgia
Tbilisi Concert Hall
Kostava Street in Tbilisi, Georgia
Kostava Street
Cool old building in Tbilisi, Georgia
Cool old building
Tbilisi, Georgia
Tbilisi
Author

Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.

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