Georgia 🇬🇪 Women of Georgia, 16th July 2026

Georgian women have shaped the nation's history, culture, and global presence for centuries. From medieval monarchs to modern-day grandmasters and artists, pivotal female figures include Queen Tamar, Nona Gaprindashvili, and Khatia Buniatishvili.Their stories span from early antiquity to the modern era, highlighting courage, leadership, and talent.

Antiquity & Medieval Saint Nino (4th Century): Credited with preaching Christianity in Georgia, she became a foundational figure in Georgian history and spirituality. King Tamar (1166–1213): The first female ruler of Georgia, reigning during the height of the "Georgian Golden Age". Her reign is noted for tremendous political expansion, economic prosperity, and a flowering of Georgian culture.

19th & 20th Century TrailblazersEkaterine Gabashvili (1851–1938): Renowned writer and key figure in early Georgian feminism who used her stories to highlight the struggles of peasant women and championed female education.Anastasia Tumanishvili-Tsereteli (1849–1932): Influential writer and educator who established crucial organizations for women's literacy and welfare.

Georgia 🇬🇪 Tbilisi walking tour, Leghvtakhevi Tunnel (also frequently referred to as the Abanotubani Tunnel) 16th July 2026

Leghvtakhevi Tunnel (also frequently referred to as the Abanotubani Tunnel).

This old pedestrian passage starts directly at a small concrete pier on the right bank of the Mtkvari (Kura) River. 

It passes deep underneath Vakhtang Gorgasali Street and Heydar Aliyev Park, leading humans directly into the dramatic Leghvtakhevi Gorge, behind the famous dome-shaped sulfur baths. The Riverside Entrance is found along the embankment wall next to the river, right below the Abanotubani district. Emerges inside the canyon, allowing you to walk straight down the scenic boardwalk to the Leghvtakhevi Waterfall.

Photography along the walls and the famous Georgian poet that wrote a poem that does not mention Georgia. Nikoloz Baratashvili. His famous 1842 philosophical poem "Merani" (The Steed) never explicitly mentions Georgia. Instead of a specific geographic homeland, the poem is about the universal human spirit, free will, and self-sacrifice for the sake of future generations. In the verses, the poet's flying steed carries him across unknown lands. When contemplating where he will meet his fate, he famously writes: "Where the night falls, there let it dawn, there let my country be"

Famous figures in this Tunnel.

Tunnel end

Georgia 🇬🇪 Tbilisi walking tour 16th July 2026

When lunch is finished we walk in old part of Tbilisi. We start and end at Freedom square.

We walked past the Monastery where Stalin was receiving his education until he was kicked out for preaching communism and carried on pass parts of the old city wall into the Kala district.

Onto an area of statues

The lamp lighter.

These statues depict Berikaoba—an ancient, pre-Christian Georgian pagan spring ritual celebrating fertility and rebirth.

A series of statues of actors in various Georgian films.

Walking past the leaning tower, we see the smallest clock in Georgia on the side of the tower.

Next door to the leaning tower there is Anchiskhati Basilica (officially the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary) the oldest surviving church in Tbilisi, originally dating back to the 6th century (around 522–534 AD). It was built by King Dachi of Iberia after he made Tbilisi the capital city. Unlike most dome-shaped Georgian churches, Anchiskhati is a modest, three-nave stone basilica built out of yellow tuff and brick.

Originally dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the church was renamed in 1675 because it became the safe repository for the Anchiskhati Icon of the Savior. This highly revered, 6th-century gold-plated icon was moved to Tbilisi from the Anchi Monastery (now in Turkey) to protect it from Ottoman invaders. The word Anchiskhati literally translates to "Icon of Anchi". Today, the actual icon is displayed securely down the street at the Georgian National Museum.

Directly adjacent to the ancient Anchiskhati Basilica on Shavteli Street sits the highly distinctive, historic palace complex known as the Patriarchate of Georgia (the official residence and working headquarters of the Catholicos-Patriarch, the spiritual leader of the Georgian Orthodox Church).

We continued to the Bridge of peace and across to the other side on to Europe square, up the small hill to the bridge.

This is the iconic Metekhi St. Virgin Mary Assumption Church and the adjacent Statue of King Vakhtang Gorgasali. This clifftop landmark directly overlooks Tbilisi's Europe Square from the east.The "man on the horse" is King Vakhtang Gorgasali, the 5th-century warrior monarch credited with founding Tbilisi. According to Georgian folklore, the king discovered the region's famous hot sulfur springs during a royal hunting expedition, where both his falcon and the bird the falcon was hunting landed in the hot spri as and died. This inspired the King to relocate the capital from Mtskheta to this strategic location.

We continue along the river and find an underground passage. The Leghvtakhevi Tunnel (also frequently referred to as the Abanotubani Tunnel).

Wrote another blog post on the above tunnel.

Georgia 🇬🇪 Meidan Bazaar and Wine making July 2026

Meidan Bazaar is one of the oldest trading centers in the entire Caucasus region, with its commercial roots dating back as early as the 4th and 5th centuries. For over a millennium, this specific spot beneath the fortress has served as Tbilisi's ultimate economic and cultural crossroads.

Situated within the ancient walled city district known as Kala, it was a central hub on the historic Great Silk Road.

Merchants from both the East and the West gathered here to exchange silk, foreign spices, handmade carpets, and regional wines.

The word "Meidan" is of Persian origin, meaning "square" or "open place", reflecting the heavy geopolitical and cultural shifts in Georgia's history.

Historically, Meidan Bazaar was much more than just a place to buy goods; it was a vibrant melting pot of cultures.

In the 1670s, the famous French traveler and jeweler Jean Chardin visited the market and marveled at its diversity. Chardin famously recorded that the square was packed with Armenians, Greeks, Jews, Persians, Indians, Turks, Moscovites, and Europeans all trading together.

Wine made in cylindrical wine vats called kvevri is a deeply rooted Georgian tradition. These are giant, egg-shaped clay pots. This specialized shape allows yeast and sediment to naturally settle at the narrower bottom while the wine circulates in the wider center. The inner walls are coated in beeswax to ensure they are antiseptic and smooth. The grapes are pressed (traditionally by foot), and the juice, skins, and sometimes stems are poured directly into the kvevri. The vessels are buried entirely in the earth inside a wine cellar known as a marani. The surrounding soil maintains a naturally cool, consistent temperature during fermentation.

This underground fermentation method where white grape juice ferments in contact with its skins for months results in Georgia's famous, rich amber (orange) wines.

Georgia 🇬🇪 Jvari and Mtskheta, 16th July 2026

Our guide, Mariam met us at budget Georgia. Mariam has to take a  Marshrutka from her village. These are privately run taxis which as she says, may leave early if full or wait for more people if empty and as a result leave late..

The first stop is Jvari monastery from there are amazing view on Mtskheta, Mtkvari and Aragvi rivers.

The Miraculous Wooden Cross: 

Before the 6th-century stone monastery was built, Saint Nino erected a massive wooden cross on this peak over a defeated pagan sanctuary. Local folklore states that this cross was completely immune to fire, could be seen from miles away, and emitted a heavenly light that healed sick pilgrims from across the Caucasus.

The Blinded King:

King Mirian III stubbornly refused to abandon his pagan idols. Folk tales recount that while he was hunting in the nearby woods, a sudden, supernatural darkness completely blinded him. Only when he despaired and prayed to "Nino's God" did the light and his sight instantly return, prompting his immediate conversion.

The Secret Royal Escape Tunnel:

A persistent local legend claims a deep tunnel was dug directly underneath the raging Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers. The tunnel supposedly connected the royal palace in Mtskheta to the cliffs of Jvari Monastery, allowing the royal family to vanish invisibly if foreign invaders breached the city gates.

The Tree of Wishes: On the windy slopes just outside the monastery walls, a solitary tree became a focal point for folk magic. For generations, travelers and pilgrims have tied colorful ribbons to its branches, believing the mountain's holy winds carry their deepest wishes directly to heaven.

Our second stop is Svetitskhoveli (living pillar) cathedral in Mtskhet.

Mtskhet is considered the religious centre of Georgia. 

Tales of the Surrounding Valley.

Directly across the river confluence from Jvari lies Mtskheta, the previous capital of the Georgian empire which is considered the religious center of Georgia

The Sacred Robe and Sidonia's Grave:

Folk tradition says a local merchant named Elioz traveled to Jerusalem and brought back Christ’s crucifixion robe. His sister, Sidonia, clutched the holy garment to her chest and instantly died from an overwhelming surge of faith. Because the robe could not be pried from her hands, she was buried wrapped in it.

The Floating Living Pillar:

A giant cedar tree grew from Sidonia's grave. Centuries later, when builders chopped it down to construct Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, they carved seven structural columns. The seventh column miraculously floated in mid-air, glowing with light and dripping a holy, healing myrrh, earning the church its name: "The Life-Giving Pillar".

We drive back to Tbilisi and we have a lunch break at a local restaurant called Pasanauri. Michael had potatoes and mushroom Ojakhuri (roast potatoes, mushrooms and onion) and I had baked mushrooms.

After lunch we met our guide Mariam and did the walking tour of Tbilisi.