Sights in Tbilisi - Part 2
As described in the first part, this blog post precedes a more detailed travel report that also took me to Tibilisi.
While the first part dealt with the sights in the old town west of the Peace Bridge, this second part deals with those east of the Peace Bridge and a little outside.
Rike Park / Rike Music Theater and Exhibition Center
If you use the Peace Bridge to cross the river from the Old Town, you will find yourself directly in Rike Park [↗]. Like the Peace Bridge, the park is relatively new and therefore has no old trees. Anyhow, it is more of a leisure park, especially for the local population.
As already mentioned in the first part, the cable car up to the fortress also starts here. As it is cheap and relatively popular, the queue can sometimes be long. In the evening you can also see a small water show.
The Rike Music Theater and Exhibition Center is located on the edge of the park. It consists of two interconnected buildings. They look fully functional from the outside, but the interior work has not even started. Ordered by the former president Mikheil Saakashvili the buildings have been finished by 2016. As the next president disliked the style, he stopped the finalization and so the whole complex is unfinished till today.
Sameba Cathedral
The Sameba Cathedral (=Cathedral of the Holy Trinity) [↗] is located a little further away, but still within easy walking distance, from the old town.
Built in 1996-2004, it is the largest church in the southern Caucasus. However, it doesn't look that huge. Inside, it still appears unfinished, which may be due to the fact that there are still many white walls. In terms of style, it is rather traditional. I can well imagine that one day, when it is completely painted, it will look like all the other Georgian churches.
Neighborhood around Aghmashenebeli Avenue
Aghmashenebeli Avenue is located to the north of the old town and can be easily reached via Marjanishvili metro station.
Similar to the Sololaki district, there are many old buildings here, but in contrast to the Sololaki district, they have been beautifully renovated - at least in Aghmashenebeli Avenue itself. If you go to the parallel streets, this changes significantly. The structure of the buildings is not as bad as in Sololaki but there is a lot to do. From a photographic point of view though this is obviously rewarding.
I hadn't really expected so much from the area, but there is a lot to see and discover here too.
The next two destinations are a little out of the way and are to be honest a bit special intrest.
Skybridges
At least the first attraction is relatively easy to reach by metro. Take the “University Line”, get off at the terminus and walk towards the hill. Turn right and you will see them.
The so-called skybridges connect the upper floors of three Soviet-style high-rise buildings built in the 1970s. As they are located directly on a slope, it was also possible to connect them to the road at the top. The idea of creating an escape route in this way probably also played a role.
Due to the university and the metro connection, there are also modern buildings in the area, but many in the immediate vicinity are still from the Soviet era and definitely have their best days behind them. However, as in the Sololaki district, this is no reason to stop living there.
Over time, the skybridges have developed into some kind of a tourist attraction. Two or three years ago, it was still possible to use the stairs in the skyscrapers. Now access is closed and you are asked to take the elevator for 7 euro cents. Still, I prefered to turn around and use the skybridge and the street. My confidence in the installed technology is rather limited.
Head office of the Bank of Georgia
This destination is now a little more difficult to reach. You can get reasonably close by metro, but then you still have to walk for about 30 minutes. However, it should be a little easier to get there by bus or cab.
The building [↗] was erected in 1975 for the former Ministry of Highway Construction of the Georgian USSR. At some point it stood empty and was bought and renovated by the Bank of Georgia.
It reminds me of what you get by giving a child building blocks and let them build a house 🌝.
