For the first time the name of the modern capital of Georgia was mentioned in the IV century, it is associated with the local warm springs, which gave the name to the new settlement. The history of Tbilisi, or Tiflis, as the city was called until 1936, is filled with large and small events of global importance or important only for local residents.
At the origins of the city
The settlement has always been at the crossroads of economic, cultural and trade routes, more than once it has become the subject of a dispute between neighbors. But the exact date of the foundation of the city is difficult to name, since no documentary sources have survived. The official version is the 5th century AD, the founder is the king of Iberia Vakhtang I Gorgasal.
Some historians claim that the name Tbtlada is found earlier, on ancient Roman maps. Archaeological excavations also confirm the presence on the territory of the modern city of settlements dating back to the 1st – 2nd centuries. ad.
Capital status
It is believed that it became the main city of the state during the reign of Tsar Dachi, who was the heir to Vakhtang I Gorgasal. The new ruler from Mtskheta moved the capital to Tbilisi. Since the city had a good location, it began to develop rapidly, at this time the fortifications around the center were completed, the Anchiskhati temple was erected.
The end of the first millennium was marked, if we speak briefly about the history of Tbilisi, by the constant confrontation of local residents with uninvited guests from both the north and the south. The period of prosperity began in 1122, when the king, known under the name of David the Builder, began to rule in the city, under him Tbilisi became the capital of Georgia.
Medieval history of Tbilisi
The period of the Middle Ages is a time of instability, struggle for independence, opposition to the Mongol army and other foreign armies. Among the important military events of the Middle Ages, the following are noted:
- 1238 - capture of the city by the Mongols;
- 1386 - the offensive of Timur's army;
- 1522 - the invasion of the Persian troops of Shah Ismail I;
- 1578 is the period of Turkish rule.
With the coming to power of Tsar Simon I, the Turks were expelled from the country, Tbilisi regains its title of the capital of the state. Then a period of difficult relations with Russia begins, as a result Georgia becomes part of the empire, and the seat of the Georgian Supreme Government is located in Tbilisi.
At the turn of the century
The end of the 19th century for Tbilisi is characterized by a sharp rise in the economy, an increase in the number of local and foreign enterprises, respectively, an increase in the population. In addition, the city acts as the center of the revolutionary movement in the Caucasus.
After the October Revolution in Georgia, an attempt was made to create an independent state - the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic, then divided into Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan. But these republics remained part of the USSR, and only in the late 1990s did Georgia become an independent state, and Tbilisi became its main city.
