The capital of Georgia is known for its hospitality, no guest can leave here hungry, disappointed, who have not found new friends. “It has always been this way and it will be like this forever,” say its inhabitants. And the main heraldic symbol, the coat of arms of Tbilisi, only emphasizes the eternity of true values.
Description of the Tbilisi coat of arms
The Georgian capital can be proud of the fact that it is the owner of both the coat of arms and the seal. The author of the sketches was the famous Georgian artist, sculptor Emir Burjanadze. And in that, and in another image, symbols important for the nation are used.
The composition of the coat of arms of Tbilisi has a round shape, the central position is occupied by the letter "Tan", and it is graphically depicted in the form of two representatives of the country's avifauna that are important for Georgia:
- an eagle, a symbol of a strong state;
- the pheasant, which is the national bird of Georgia.
The secret of the appearance of the pheasant is hidden in the old Georgian traditions, directly related to the hospitality of local residents and national cuisine. One of the most famous dishes of Georgia is chakhokhbili, initially it was prepared only from pheasant, later, when the population of these birds began to decline sharply, enterprising housewives switched to chicken meat. In addition to Georgia, the pheasant is a symbol of one of the US states, South Dakota, as well as the Japanese prefecture of Iwate.
The Legend of the Pheasant
There is another explanation for the appearance of a pheasant on the main heraldic symbol. In Tbilisi, you can hear one of the beautiful legends about King Vakhtang I Gorgasal, who hunted in the places where the city is now located. The hunter's falcon wounded a pheasant (there is a version where a deer is present instead of a bird).
The wounded animal was able to find a sulfur spring in the forest, the healing water of which helped him to regain strength and escape. The surprised tsar decided to found a settlement on this place, so beautiful Tbilisi was born.
One of the interpretations of its name is associated with the Georgian word "tbili", which can be translated as "warm". There are indeed many warm springs in the vicinity of the city.
Important elements of the coat of arms
In addition to the letter associated with the representatives of the birds, there are seven stars on the coat of arms of Tbilisi, each of which has seven ends, an oak branch, an inscription - the name of the city.
At the base of the composition, you can see several wavy lines associated with the water element, first of all, with the Mtkvari River, on which Tbilisi stands.
