Ambassador Tefft And Mayor Ugulava Present Tbilisi Panoramic Cultural-Historic Route “Narikala”
On June 2, U.S. Ambassador John Tefft and the Mayor of Tbilisi Gigi Ugulava opened the Tbilisi Panoramic Cultural-Historic Route “Narikala.”
The Narikala Route was created as a result of a project funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Ambassador’s Cultural Heritage Preservation Fund. The project is co-funded by the Tbilisi Municipality and Ltd. Geographic and implemented by Ltd. Geographic.
The project implementation started in 2006 and was completed in May 2007. As a result of the project, a cultural tourist route was created on a 1.5 km area of old Tbilisi – the Kala district. The route offers English-Georgian signs with information on the 19 important monuments located on the route, new lighting for touring the route during the evening, information tables with old photographs and maps of Tbilisi, and binoculars for the panoramic views. The project will also result in the creation of information brochures, a website, guides, and maps of old Tbilisi.
Amongst the monuments located on the Narikala Route are the Moghnisi Gregorian Church (Armenian); the cross-domed brick Bethlehem Orthodox Church; the 18th century Upper Bethlehem Church; the Ateshga or Fire-Worshippers’ Temple; the 17th century Kldis Ubani Church; the 19th century brick Mosque Juma, the 17th century Narikala fortress; and the Tbilisi sulfur baths. These monuments are linked with a network of paths, streets and stairs laid between the monuments and eclectic residential structures of the 19th century.
The presentation on June 2 included a guided walk of the 1.5 km Narikala Route starting from the Botanical Garden Main Entrance and ending at the Bethlehem Church. Deputy Minister of Culture, Monuments Protection, and Sport Nikoloz Vacheishvili, representatives of the diplomatic corps, tourism department students from various universities, and guests participated in the walk.
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