Tbilisi

Tbilisi (Georgian თბილისი) is the capital city of the republic of Georgia, located on the Kura river. The city has more than 1.25 million inhabitants. The Russian name for Tbilisi, sometimes also seen in Western texts, is Tiflis.

Tbilisi was founded in the 5th century AD by the King of Georgia Vakhtang I Gorgasali (452-502). There was a small village since 4th century AD. The city has been the capital of Georgian Kingdom in 6th-7th centuries. Tbilisi has also been occupied by many foreign rulers, including Arabs and Seljuks (Turks). In 1122, after heavy fighting, the troops of the King of Georgia David the Builder entered Tbilisi. After this battle David moved his residence from Kutaisi to Tbilisi, making it his capital. In 1801, it came under Russian control. After the Russian Revolution, Georgia was briefly independent, and Tbilisi functioned as the capital city. It remained the capital city of the Transcaucasian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic, and later the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, after its incorporation in the Soviet Union The city was restored as the Georgian capital after the country's 1991 independence.

In Tbilisi exists the Parliament and Government of the republic of Georgia, the Georgian Academy of Sciences, Tbilisi State University, Georgian Medical University, Georgian Agrarian University, Georgian Technical University, Tbilisi State Pedagogical University, Tbilisi State University of Languages and Culture, Tbilisi State Conservatoire, Tbilisi State Opera Theatre, Shota Rustaveli State Academic Theatre, Marjanishvili State Academic Theatre, many state museums, the National Public Library of the Parliament of Georgia, the National Bank of Georgia and other important organizations. In Tbilisi exists also Narikala fortress (8th century), Church of Anchiskhati (6th century), Sioni Cathedral (8th century), Church of Metekhi (10th century), etc.

Georgians pronounce Tbilisi with a barely-spoken 't', so that it almost sounds like "Bill-EE-see"; English speakers often mispronounce it like "Tib-LEE-see", but this is incorrect.