Kutaisi

Kutaisi

After Tbilisi and Batumi, Kutaisi is the third most populous city in Georgia and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Located 221 kilometers west of Tbilisi on the Rioni River, it serves as the capital of the region of Western Imereti. One of Georgia's major cities in history, it served as the political center of Colchis in medieval times as the capital of the Kingdom of Abkhazia and the Kingdom of Georgia, and subsequently as the capital of the Kingdom of Imereti. In an effort to decentralize the Georgian government, Kutaisi was the seat of the Georgian Parliament from October 2012 to December 2018. The ruins of Bagrati Cathedral, built in the early 11th century by Bagrat III, King of Georgia, is the city's landmark. A few kilometers east of the city, the Gelati Monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And Motsameta Monastery is one of the most famous churches in Georgia. In addition to the churches, there are also other places of interest, such as Sataplia Cave, where you can see the footprints of dinosaurs; the remains of Geguti Palace, which used to be one of the residences of Georgian monarchs; "Okros Chardakhi" - the palace of Georgian kings; the Pantheon, where many important persons are laid to rest, and the Kutaisi Synagogue, constructed in 1885. To the northeast and northwest, the city is surrounded by deciduous forests. The countryside is largely agricultural on the low-lying outskirts of the city. There are many gardens in the center of the city, and the streets are lined with tall, leafy trees. In spring, as the snow melts in the nearby mountains, the roar of the Rioni River in the center of the city can be heard far off its shores.