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Agmashenebeli Avenue in Tbilisi: what is there to see?

The former German Neu-Tiflis on the left bank of the Mtkvari.

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Short answer

Davit Agmashenebeli Avenue in Tbilisi runs through the former German settlement of Neu-Tiflis on the left bank of the Mtkvari, and the settlement's center was Kote Marjanishvili Square. It has houses from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, old cinemas and a Catholic Church of Saints Peter and Paul. Little authentic German architecture remains.

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Why

  1. Around 1818 Neu-Tiflis, a village of German craftsmen, was founded on the left bank of the Mtkvari, one of five German settlements.
  2. In 1862 it officially joined Tbilisi, and the main street was named after Grand Prince Mikhail Romanov (Mikhail Avenue on maps by 1878).
  3. From the 1890s the avenue became a center of commerce and offices, with mansions, hotels, parks, open-air cinemas and clubs.

Details

Per Georgia Travel, the avenue has the house of Johann Mayer (No. 52), the former Wetzel Hotel of 1900, the Apollo cinema of 1909 (currently closed) and the former Palace cinema of 1914, now the Jansug Kakhidze Music Center. The former People's House of 1907 is now the Kote Marjanishvili Theater. The parks once settled by Germans are now named after Ilia, Arto and Jansug Kakhidze. The Lutheran Church of Saints Peter and Paul of 1897 was demolished after the war and a residential building went up in its place.

For routes around the city see what to see in Tbilisi in 1, 3 or 5 days and what to see in Tbilisi.

Tip

Start at Kote Marjanishvili Square and walk along the avenue, looking at the facades and courtyards, which shows the remains of the old district best.

What may differ

Some buildings are closed or rebuilt, and the institutions inside may change.

Common misconception

A whole German quarter has survived on Agmashenebeli Avenue.

What actually happens

Georgia Travel says little authentic German architecture remains, although the inner quarters of the avenue are still green.

People also ask

  • What was Neu-Tiflis in Tbilisi?

Sources

This answer is for reference and is based on the georgia.travel page as of the check date. Check opening hours and visiting conditions locally.

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