The walls of Tbilisi's Old City

Walking around the Old City in Tbilisi, Georgia, the ancient walls that once bounded it are clearly evident – from the original to the renovated.

The Narikala fortress, or citadel, on the Sololaki range, was built in the 4th century. The Umayyads continued its construction in the 7th century, as did David the Builder when he reigned (1089-1125). The walls of the city continued from the 12th to the 18th centuries as the city expanded - or the walls were razed by invaders.

The different layers of the walls reveal that parts were destroyed and rebuilt. Parts of the wall were destroyed in 1801 during the annexation of Georgia by the Russian Empire. In 1827 parts of the fortress were damaged by earthquake, and segments were buried when the city further expanded, making way for the construction of new roads and buildings.

Spreading from the Narikala fortress (accessible nowadays by cable car), the walls were erected down the slopes (along Dadiani Street) to the plain – and can be seen on the streets of Pushkin and Baratashvili, and along side streets and lanes until they reach the river.

On Pushkin Street, the buried walls with five towers were exposed in 2012 when the old buildings were being renovated. Tbilisi City Hall commenced restoration of the wall and erected a pedestrian walkway in Pushkin Street when 15,000 residents voted to support the project. Now the 110 metre wall fragments, that are said to be from the 11th to the 13th centuries, can be seen from the walkway – at shop level – or up close as the walkway wraps around them. As renovation began, archaeologists found fragments of clay pots and other artefacts at the site and nearby.

Pushkin Street is easily accessible from Freedom Square, and the street continues into Baratashvili Street. On Baratashvili Street the city walls were revealed in 1977, according to the plaque. Most of the defensive walls are intact and preserved, complete with towers. Next to the wall is a monument to Iohann (Ioane or John) Petritsi, an 11-12th century philosopher. Walking around a circle into the Old City, especially Shaveteli and Erekle II Streets, reveals more walls and fragments.

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