Fortress Wall of Old Tbilisi

Along Baratashvili Street a long stretch of the city wall has survived, hidden for a long time under later buildings and soil. The wall was uncovered and reinforced in the second half of the 20th century, when dilapidated houses on the slope were being demolished: masonry of large cobblestones and broken brick with crenellations along the top, arched niches and a gateway arch leading into the courtyards. These are the remains of the fortifications of the lower town, which at different times were added to and rebuilt after each successive sacking of Tbilisi. Above the wall stand dwelling houses with carved wooden balconies, a typical Tbilisi approach in which old fortifications were simply built over with housing. At its foot lies a small park with clipped bushes and paths, and from there a view opens onto the domes of Sameba on the other bank of the Kura. The place works as a convenient way into the old town: from here the lanes climb towards Sioni, Anchiskhati and the puppet theatre.

On the map