Sololaki district in Tbilisi: what is there to see?
Houses, entrances and balconies of an old residential district.
Short answer
Sololaki in Tbilisi is known for its architecture, from eclectic 19th-century mansions with lavishly decorated entrances to Soviet-era housing, so the houses themselves are the main sight. Buildings in several styles, from eclecticism and Moorish motifs to modernism, stand at specific addresses. The district has not yet been fully restored.
Why
- From the mid-19th century the district was built up as a residential area of bourgeois Tbilisi, and wealthy industrialists built large houses here.
- Entrances were decorated with Italian and local marble, wall paintings, metalwork and sculpture.
- Under Soviet rule the houses were filled with workers, with 10 to 15 or more families in each, and the entrances were neglected.
Details
Here are several addresses. The house at Ivane Machabeli 17 was built in 1910 by engineer Ghazar Sarkisian for Baku oil magnate Mkrtich Kalantarov, has Islamic and Moorish motifs and was recently restored. Geronti Kikodze 9 is known for its openwork staircase, and Geronti Kikodze 11 is an eclectic house from 1914. Wooden balconies survive at Sololaki 8 and Amaghleba 23. Entrance paintings from 1911 are at Galaktion Tabidze 18.
The district is next to the center, see also where the center of Tbilisi is and what to see in Tbilisi.
Tip
Walk along Geronti Kikodze, Ivane Machabeli and Galaktion Tabidze streets and look into open entrances, where the paintings survive.
What may differ
The condition of the houses changes: some entrances are closed or in poor repair, and restoration is not happening everywhere.
Common misconception
Sololaki has been fully restored and looks like an open-air museum.
What actually happens
Full restoration of the large district is not complete, and only some buildings were restored recently, for example Galaktioni 13 and 18 and Ivane Machabeli 17.
People also ask
- What is Sololaki known for?
Sources
- Georgia Travel: Sololaki DistrictChecked at:
This answer is for reference and reflects the check date. Check opening hours and visiting conditions locally.
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