- published: 01 Jun 2015
- views: 4818
Tbilisi (Georgian: თბილისი [tʰˈbiliˌsi]), commonly known by its former name Tiflis, and often mispronounced as Tiblisi, is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of roughly 1.5 million inhabitants. Founded in the 5th century by the monarch of Georgia's ancient precursor Kingdom of Iberia, Tbilisi has since served, with intermissions, as the capital of various Georgian kingdoms and republics. Under the Russian rule, from 1801 to 1917 Tiflis was the seat of the Imperial Viceroy governing both sides of the entire Caucasus.
Located on the southeastern edge of Europe, Tbilisi's proximity to lucrative east-west trade routes often made the city a point of contention between various rival empires throughout history and the city's location to this day ensures its position as an important transit route for global energy and trade projects. Tbilisi's varied history is reflected in its architecture, which is a mix of medieval, classical, and Soviet structures.
The history of Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, dates back to at least the 5th century AD. Tbilisi has been an important cultural, political and economic center of the Caucasus region for most of its history. Located on a crossroad of major trade routes, the city has suffered many invasions, often served as the seat of foreign domination over the region, but also as the capital of various independent local states.
Legend has it that the present-day territory of Tbilisi was uninhabited and covered by forest as late as 458 AD, the date medieval Georgian chronicles assign to the founding of the city by King Vakhtang I Gorgasali of Iberia (or Kartli, present-day eastern Georgia).
Archaeological studies of the region have however revealed that the territory of Tbilisi was settled by humans as early as the 4th millennium BC. The earliest written accounts of settlement of the location come from the second half of the 4th century AD, when a fortress was built during King Varaz-Bakur's reign (ca. 364). Towards the end of the 4th century the fortress fell into the hands of the Persians, but was recaptured by the kings of Kartli by the middle of the 5th century.
Tbilisoba (Georgian: თბილისობა) is an annual October festival which celebrates the diversity and history of Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. It was first held on October 28, 1979, and has since become an established tradition. The festival features open-air concerts of traditional music and dancing and various cultural events, centered on Old Tbilisi, the historical part of the city. Beyond celebrating the city's past and present, people from all over Georgia represent their region at the fair of the harvest. Awarding honorary citizenship of Tbilisi by the city government also occurs in the framework of Tbilisoba.
The festival was created at the initiative of Eduard Shevardnadze, then-the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, to honor the capital and counter attendance at religious events as part of his program to overcome "manifestations of nationalism" through introducing new "socialist traditions". The event became a celebration of the city’s 1,500-year history and had the unintended effect of engaging Georgians more intensely in their national history. The festival remained dormant during the civil unrest of the early 1990s. It was resumed in 1995 and has since been held annually, usually in the latter half of October.
She was sitting on a stool in a little bar called the Seldom Scene When I walked over and said hi introduced myself
And what's your name I asked she just smiled
She was wearin' a tiny gold chain with the initials SS on the front And I said wait a minute you are Susie Smith she shook her head
Okay you're Sally Simpson...Sarah and before I could finish
She put her hand on mine and said look it's not important
And I said okay I'll just call you Double S and she nodded
And I said what are you drinkin' Double S she said Scotch'n'Soda
And I said Okay Double S one Scotch'n'Soda comin' up
You live around here I asked
No she said just killin' time till the morning
I got an early plane back to California I live near San Simeon
Oh and you'll be flyin' on a 7-0-7 no doubt I said
How did you know? she asked oh I guess I'm just super-smart
You gonna spend the rest of the night in this bar Double S
No she said I have a motel room I'm at the Surfing Sand
Can I give you a lift thanks
I rented a car but I don't drive it too well she answered
It's a stick-ship haha Double S you are something-special I said
And paid the town and we walked out in the cool evening breeze
She said across the seat and snuggled up close to my side
And I began to run my fingers through her hair
It was soft'n'silky. I opened the door to her room
My lips found her lips and I held her close
And whispered you are a super-sexy lady she simply smiled
I could feel her body slowly soften as her sensuous soul
Swiftly swept me into sublime serenity
Her plane left just as the morning
Sun began to softly streak the starry sky
She kissed me a soft solyuna waved a sultry so long from the window
And I never saw Double S again
Right now she's soaring somewhere above the clouds
And I'm walking home on one
And I just realized I never did find out what Double S stood for