3. • According to an old legend, the present-day territory of
Tbilisi was covered by forests as late as 458. King Vakhtang
I Gorgasali of Georgia went hunting in the heavily wooded
region with a falcon . The King's falcon
caught
a pheasant during the hunt, after which both birds fell into
a nearby hot spring and died from burns. King Vakhtang
became so impressed with the hot springs that he decided
to cut down the forest and build a city on the location. The
name Tbilisi derives from the Old Georgian word "Tpili"
(თბილი), meaning warm. The name 'Tbili' or 'Tbilisi'
('warm location') was therefore given to the city because of
the area's numerous sulphuric hot springs that came out of
the ground.

5. • In 1122 King of Georgia David the Builder moved his
residence from Kutaisi (Western Georgia) to Tbilisi, making
it the capital of a unified Georgian State. From 12–13th
centuries, Tbilisi became a dominant regional power with a
thriving economy (with well-developed trade and skilled
labour) and a well-established social system. By the end of
the 12th century, the population of Tbilisi had reached
100,000. The city also became an important literary and a
cultural center not only for Georgia but for the larger
civilized world as well. During Queen Tamar's reign, Shota
Rustaveli worked in Tbilisi while writing his legendary epic
poem, The Knight in the Panther's Skin. This period is often
referred to as "Georgia's Golden Age" or the
Georgian Renaissance.

7. • The status of Tbilisi, as the nation's capital, is defined by the Article
10 in the Constitution of Georgia .
• Tbilisi is governed by the Tbilisi Assembly (Sakrebulo) and the Tbilisi
City Hall (Meria).
• Administratively, the city is divided into raions (districts), which
have their own units of central and local government with
jurisdiction over a limited scope of affairs. Tbilisi raions include:
• Old Tbilisi (ძველი თბილისი)
• Vake-Saburtalo (ვაკე-საბურთალო)
• Didube-Chughureti (დიდუბე-ჩუღურეთი)
• Gldani-Nadzaladevi (გლდანი-ნაძალადევი)
• Isani-Samgori (ისანი-სამგორი)
• Didgori (დიდგორი)

9. • Tbilisi is located in the South Caucasus in Eastern Georgia on both
banks of the Mtkvari River from 380–770 meters above sea
level (1246–1968 ft) and has the shape of an amphitheatre
surrounded by mountains on three sides. To the north, Tbilisi is
bounded by the Saguramo Range, to the east and south-east by
the Iori Plain, to the south and west by sub-ranges of the Trialeti
Range.
• The relief of Tbilisi is complex. The part of the city lies on the left
bank of the Mtkvari River for more than 30 km (19 mi) from
the Avchala District to River Lochini. The part of the city which lies
on the right side of the Mtkvari River on the other hand is built
along the foothills of the Trialeti Range.
• To the north of the city, there is a large reservoir (commonly known
as the Tbilisi Sea) fed by irrigation canals.

11. • The climate of Tbilisi can be classified as moderately humid
subtropical. The city's climate is influenced both by dry (Central
Asian/Siberian) air masses from the east and humid subtropical
(Atlantic/Black Sea) air masses from the west. Tbilisi experiences
relatively cold winters and hot summers.
• The average annual temperature in Tbilisi is 12.7 °C (54.9 °F).
January is the coldest month with an average temperature of 0.9
°C (33.6 °F). July is the hottest month with an average temperature
of 24.4 °C (75.9 °F). The absolute minimum recorded temperature
is −23 °C (−9 °F) and the absolute maximum is 40 °C(104 °F). May is
the wettest month (90 mm) while January is the driest (20 mm).
Snow falls on average 15–25 days per year. Northwesterly winds
dominate in most parts of Tbilisi throughout the year. Southeasterly
winds are common as well.

13. • Tbilisi is a multicultural city. The city is home to
more than 100 different ethnic groups. Around
89% of the population is ethnically Georgian, with
significant populations of other ethnic groups
such as Armenians, Russians, and Azeris. Along
with the above mentioned groups, Tbilisi is also
home to various other ethnic groups
including Ossetians, Abkhazians,Ukrainians, Gree
ks, Germans, Jews, Estonians, Kurds, Assyrians,
and others.

15. • More than 95% of the residents of Tbilisi practise various
forms of Christianity (the most predominant of which is
theGeorgian Orthodox Church). The Russian Orthodox
Church, which is in Full communion with the Georgian, and
theArmenian Apostolic Church have significant following
within the city as well. A large minority of the population
(around 4%) practises Islam (mainly Sunni Islam). Judaism is
also common, but to a lesser extent (about 2% of Tbilisi's
population practises Judaism). Tbilisi has been historically
known for religious tolerance. This is especially evident in
the city's Old Town, where a mosque, synagogue,
and Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches can all be
found within less than 500 metres (1,600 ft) from each
other.