Mount of Mtatsminda (City of Tbilisi)
Mount of Mtatsminda (Georg. მთაწმინდა). The name of this mountain, which is part of the Trialeti Range, is translated from Georgian as “Holy Mountain”. Its height is 770 meters above sea level. Mtatsminda literally hangs over the old quarters of Tbilisi, and the upper urban levels of the Sololaki district are already on the lower part of its slopes. According to legend, one of the Assyrian fathers, David, built a cell on the slope of the mountain back in the 6th century, on the site of which the Church of Our Lady of Iveria was then built. In 1542, the monastery of St. David was built here, and in 1871, a stone church. Around the temple is the Mtatsminda pantheon founded in 1929 – the burial place of prominent state officials of the country and cultural figures. About what is at the top of the mountain and at its base, you need to talk separately.
The Tbilisi funicular, which is over a hundred years old, was built in 1903-1905 according to the design of the French engineer Blanche. The length of the railway track is 500 meters. Two cars move up and down, and in the middle of the track there is a fork where the trains stop and diverge. From here, those who wish can get into the temple of David and the pantheon. At the top of Mtatsminda there is a wonderful amusement park. It is divided into extreme, children’s and family zones. And even if you are not a big fan of rides, be sure to ride the “ferris wheel”: when your cabin is at its peak, know that you are at the highest possible height above Tbilisi and you can see not only its center, but the entire city.
There are several ways to get to Mount Mtatsminda and the park located on it. Public transport goes there, but you can also get there by car. In addition, there is a convenient staircase passing by the pantheon and reaching the park from the parking lot. But the townspeople and especially the guests of Tbilisi, as a rule, prefer to climb the funicular. To do this, you need to get on foot or by car to its lower station and purchase a special park card at the entrance, which is a pass inside, as well as a means of payment for the amusement park located in the park.
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