The Persian Splash upon Tbilisi with Walking Tour

On various occasions, the Persians conquered or at least controlled the area around Tbilisi. The Persians brought their culture and, at times, their religion to the Georgian region. Despite the Georgian Christian faith, the Persians often dwelt peacefully among them when they controlled the area. A key link to this idea comes from the time of the Sasanian King Khosrow II, who had a Christian wife named Shirin. This queen often sought protection for the Christian populations under Persian control.

Walking the Persian Sights of Tbilisi

My map displays two walking tours: one ends at Narikala and the other starts near the Mother of Georgia. Currently, these two sights do not connect unless one walks through the Botanical Gardens. I have started with Narikala since this is the key site in the city.

The Persian Fortress of Narikala

A Georgian king, King Varaz-Bakur, first built a structure on this mountain top, but when the Sasanians arrived, they modified it somewhat into what appears today. Other conquerors took over the fortress, and when the Mongols captured it, they named it the Little Fortress – Narikala -( ناریکالا).

Persian Influence and Baths…

Most visitors are drawn to the baths, which are a cultural cornerstone of the region. Georgian, Persian, and Ottoman traditions all emphasized publicly accessible bathhouses as essential communal spaces. Beyond hygiene, the baths functioned as vital social hubs and settings for important cultural rituals. Their strategic placement allowed merchants, fortress workers, and those laboring along the river to restore themselves physically in the sulfur-rich waters at the end of the day.

The first Hamams in Tbilisi date back to the 5th century, when the Persians controlled the city, and the bath structures provide evidence of their influence. Much is written about these baths, and the exterior view of the Chreli Abano (Blue Bath) in Abanotubani reminds me of Samarkand.

Former Shia Mosque at Metekhi Bridge

A Shia mosque was built in 1522 by Shah Ismail I, but was destroyed in 1951 during the Soviet rule. The mosque sat on the northwest bank of the bridge (bridge goes north-south at that location), kitty-corner to the Metekhi Church. In 1522, a church sat on this location and Shah Ismail I destroyed the church, building the mosque to replace it. Though history gives no name to the so-called church, we do know that the southern bank of the river was the living city — noisy, commercial, religiously mixed, and economically vital. The northern bank, with the Metekhi Church and hillside fortification, was symbolic and defensive. Any ruler like Shah Ismail had to control the crossing between them, which is precisely why he built a mosque there in the 1520s.

Throughout history in this city, the Sunni rulers sought to destroy the Shia sites and the Qajari ones, the Sunni ones. It took the Soviet Union to force them to work together. Pic below from: atinati.com/news.

After 1951, the Sunni and Shia Muslims were forced to gather together on Friday at the Jumah Mosque up the hill from there. It is believed that the wooden minbar (elevated pulpit) in that mosque is from this former Shia mosque. Further information here.

Queen Darejan Persian Design Palace

In 1776, King Erekle II built a palace on a hill for his wife, Queen Darejan, using stones from an old fortress. The building served as both a royal home and a fortress. Unlike many buildings, it survived a major invasion in 1795. Over the years, it has been used as a school, monastery, museum, and theater. Today, it is partly a monastery and a charity center.

The palace walls are made of river stones and Georgian bricks in a unique pattern. The blue balconies and carved decorations, added in the 18th and 19th centuries, show Persian influence. This mix of Georgian and Persian styles is common in eastern Georgia. Even the queen’s name, “Darejan,” sounds like a Persian word for “my dear” (درون جان ).

Between the 16th and 18th centuries, Kartli-Kakheti (an eastern Georgian area including Tbilisi) lay firmly within Persia’s political and cultural orbit, shaped by direct suzerainty, repeated military campaigns, and its strategic location on Iran’s northern frontier. As a result, Georgian elites became deeply embedded in Persian court culture, adopting Persian language, aesthetics, and architectural forms that reshaped cities and royal spaces. This palace symbolizes these trends from past centuries.

If you are from Iran and desire to learn more about some of the religious differences between Christianity and others, please check out the website below

My take on the differences between Islam and the Bible: