Charm of Tbilisi Tbilisis xibli

Charm of Old Tbilisi
One who aspires to express peculiarity of the charm radiated
by the historical part of the city of Tbilisi – the Old
Town – encounters a rather complicated mission, since
its elusive attractiveness as if hovers in the air, fills up old
twisted streets, flashes through the openwork decoration
of the balconies that hang over the streets, is scattered
over the facades with the sections of exposed masonry,
nevertheless revived by the play of light and shade. This
charm will astonish the viewer as courtyards with glassed
galleries all of a sudden come up round the corner.
Despite all the ordeal, destruction and devastations the
town would always be restored to life, new walls would
be erected upon the old foundations, though the citizens
would always be keen on preserving the remains of the
ancient history of their beloved city. Even today the entire
Old City follows the track of centuries-old traditional
urban development. Its ancient temples, the defense
wall and other buildings and their natural confluence with
the XIX century constructions of European style create
particular atmosphere. This multitude of styles and traditions
constitutes the city texture.
Quite often some elements of the city history and of its
charm remain hidden and imperceptible at first sight.
Tbilisi entrance halls are one of these kinds of mysteries
hidden away from worldly vanity beyond the facades.
This architectural element is relatively young and
ap pears at the same time as the new European-style
houses that started to emerge in Tbilisi in XIX c.
The landlords had always regarded the entrance halls as
a sort of their visiting card and a sign of social succe ss
and status. They never stinted on adornment of the entrance
halls, sometimes even decorating them lavishly
by means of dressed-up hallways and thresholds with
welcoming inscriptions “SALVE”, portals and pilasters,
panels imitating marble, decorative moldings, mosaic,
forged railings and stair posts, salon-style colorful paintings
and even stained glass.
Paintings were imitating motives common for the Renaissance
and Baroque styles. Floristic garlands, women
resembling fairies of ancient legends, putti figu res
levitating in the sky, romantic landscapes, some exo tic
scenes of faraway countries or portraits of the la nd lord’s
ancestors, or paintings narrating their family history and
occupations – all that kind of mural decorations were
applied on the walls and ceilings of the entrance halls