Tbilisi: Then and Now

Reading Thomas Goltz’s journalistic account of Georgia in the times of troubles, I came across a description of old Tbilisi. While the portrayal is evocative and keen, it is unclear whether Goltz is talking about Tbilisi in the days of nineteenth century Russian empire, or rather presenting it as he saw it in the heady days of civil war and ethnic conflict inferno. My guess is that the account below blends the two together.

“Nestled under the walls of the oft-rebuilt Narikala Castle on Mount Mtstaminda, and split and defined by the Mtkvari River, ‘old’ Tbilisi was a chaotic series of cobblestone streets filled with more churches, mosques and synagogues than one could count or reasonably attempt to visit in a week. Mulberry trees dropped their sticky fruit underfoot, and straggling vines grew out of the cement, creeping up the red brick walls of once grand but now mainly long-neglected mansions. Old wooden balconies leaned dangerously over the narrow lanes, and many doors still boasted ornamental gargoyle brass knockers. Once regal, most of the older homes had been turned into communal apartments, entered through mysterious courtyards defined by a high density of draped laundry and illegal electricity lines, strung from window to spiral staircase and then the street.”