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Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, was founded in the 5th century by Georgian King Vakhtang Gorgasali. During the 11-12th centuries Tbilisi became one of the most important political, economic and cultural centers of the Caucasus and the Middle East, commanding the route between East and West Transcaucasia. In 1271 Marco Polo admired Tbilisi as "magnificent and powerful city".

Major rulers like David the Builder, Tamara and Irakli the Second based themselves here. Tbilisi changed hands between the Persians and Turks countless times in the 16th to 18th centuries, and the Persians burned it down one last time in 1795.

The city lies in a bowl surrounded by hills with the Kura River (Mtkvari in Georgian) flowing through it from north-west to south-east, Tbilisi was founded at the strategic spot where Kura flows through a narrow gap between two hills. That is the oldest part of the city. The Old Town is famous for its numerous churches and historical monuments, museums, wooden houses with open, carved balconies, sulphur bathhouses and Oriental markets.

Mtatsminda (Holy Mountain) dominates the center of the city, 400 meters above the Kura. Rustaveli Avenue, Tbilisi's main street, is always full of life. Different museums, churches, art galleries, and theatres are situated along the street.