Tbilisi

 Tbilisi

I was up early before the crowds poured onto the streets.

My first stop was to view this magnificent facade. It is not a mosque but the entrance to one of the hotspring bath houses.

To one side of this bath house is a bridge over a tributary of the Kura River with dozens of love padlocks.

On the far side of the river is the cheaper, brick built hot spring bath house.

                                        

I crossed the Metekhi Bridge. It is overlooked by the statue of King Vakhtang Gorgasali sitting on a horse who founded the city in 455AD. It is also overlooked by the Metekhi Virgin Mary Assumption Church. 

There were views back from the bridge towards the old centre and the Narikala Fortress.

It is difficult to get lost in the old centre as you can almost always look uo to see the Narikala Fortress, the new cathedral or the TV relay station. Walk down any slope and you will reach the river.

Despite the number of old buildings in the centre, there are plenty of new buildings such as this sphere near the cable car to the Narikala Fortress...

...the modern foorbridge over the Kura River...

...or look up and spot the Mother of Georgia statue. In one hand she holds a bowl filled with wine to welcome friends and in the other hand, she holds a sword to defend the country against enemies.

I walked around the old centre and passed the oldest church in Tbilisi, the Anchiskhati Basilica which dates from the sixth century. 

Despite the number of old buildings, there are plenty of modern buildings, some with an art nouveau style...

...and other structures that do not conform to a particular style, such as the Clock Tower, a modern addition built to look old and weird at the same time.

The Nikoloz Baratashvili Bridge across the river has a number of stylised slender human characters adorning the railings.

Looking upriver are the Public Service Hall, the House of Justice, and the Bank of Georgia, all housed in a modern concrete and glass structure with curving roofs similar to a clutch of mushrooms or a flower according to the guidebook. 

I crossed the river and made my way up the valley side towards the Holy Trinity Church of Tbilisi. It is located high up the valley side and its golden roof can be seen from many locations throughout the city. There is an impressive gate into the complex.

The bells are housed in a separate building to one side of the main structure.

A view of the west facade...

...one of the entrances on the north side...

...the eastern facade...

...and a close up of the western entrance. It was a spendid building but difficult to get a photo of the whole structure.

I continued my wander around the centre and passed several unusual buildings, such as this oddly designed hotel.

A statue of St George in Freedom Square, also called Liberty Square.

I walked around the old centre trying to find some of the caravanserai that I had seen on my previous visit. I found just one that had been converted into a hotel. I searched for others but they had either collapsed or had been transformed so radically that I didn't recognise them.

As I wandered around the centre, I came across more modern sculptures such as a metal tree...

...and a bench whose surfaces were made from welded spanners supported by wheels with a tethered metal dog to one side and a metal doctor's bag resting where someone might want to sit.

I caught the cable car from one side of the river to the other to reach the Narikala Fortress. There were views back across the river and some of the other more modern sights such as the Bridge of Peace footbridge, (also known as the Sanitary Pad Bridge), the sphere (Air Balloon) and two sea cucumber-like structures which were the Rike Musical Theatre and the Exhibition Centre.

There was a good view of the Holy Trinity Church on the opposite side of the valley.

I had wanted to visit the Narikala Fortress but it was closed. It was closed not due to the Easter holidays but due to essential maintenance. Judging by the sun bleached hoardings preventing access, it had been closed for some time and there was no expected opening date displayed.

A short walk along the ridge overlooking the city was the Mother of Georgia statue.

From the top of the cable car, I started to walk down to the old centre. I kept looking for old merchant houses and caravanserai but saw no indications of them. I paused at the Church of Bethlehem. No photos were allowed inside. There were hunderds of devotive candles lit inside. It made the inside of the church glitter in the light, there was a distinctive smell of wax and the temperature inside was noticeable hotter than outside due to the sheer numbers of burning candles.

                               

 I purposefully walked along some of the backstreets. I discovered some fascinating old styles of archetecture, but none of the caravanserai that I was looking for. 

I passed the Georgian Jewish Museum which had been sign posted from various points. The door was open but in keeping with the rest of the world, it was a Monday, and due to some intercontinental conspiracy, all museums across the world are closed on Mondays.