Darlinge scapes

07/17/2023

A visual history book on 16 giant metal columns.
The Chronicle of Georgia is a very interesting place to walk around, especially if you can get a guide with you, who can explain lesser known stories of their past. Especially, because there are no panels explaining what you see exactly. 🤷🏻‍♀️
Each column is completely covered with bronze and copper sculptural reliefs. There are three horizontal ‘layers’, a triptych that you can read from left to right. Each strata tells a different story.
The bottom part of the pillars are clear, if you have an average knowledge about the Bible, as most scenes are from the Old and the New Testament. The pillars’ architecture also bears symbolism from the Bible they are said to be 33 meters tall to refer to the age of Jesus when crucified.
The middle part is largely based on ‘The History of Georgia’ or ‘Life of Kartli’, and tells events and deeds of kings and queens, plus mentions some poets and writers as well.
The upmost part is not finished on all of them. Most scenes are really soviet artistically, and feature customs and agricultural work.
The Chronicles is open year around, and there’s no entrance fee either. If you want to take better photos, chose to go in the afternoon, as the harsh lights contrast the dark material, and even the reliefs are harder to figure out.
📍Chronicle of Georgia, Tbilisi

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07/17/2023

Visit the Bridge of Peace in the evening, and you’ll see an awesome LED show on the bridge!
Lights appear 60 minutes before the sun sets, and finish 60 minutes after sunrise.
Both the base and the canopy are lit up with different programmes. One of them is message in Morse code, that features the periodic table of elements. It symbolises the “life and peace between people”, referring to the name of the bridge.
Also, there are motion sensors built in the glass railings, so the light is interactive when you pass by. How cool is that! :)
📍Bridge of Peace, Tbliisi

07/17/2023

The Unesco site, which still stands, but no more as a Unesco site…
Bagrati cathedral is beautiful example of medieval Georgian Church architecture, but when it came to recent reconstruction, things got out of hand…
The cathedral got its Unesco status in 1994, but soon after this, it was in such a deteriorating state, that Unesco listed it among the endangered world heritage sites.
Restoration work moved on like crazy, although there were several warnings, that the ongoing construction work affects the structural integrity and authenticity of the building.
Georgian authorities didn’t take this seriously, and kept on working, thus the Unesco excluded Bagrati from the World Heritage Sites, because of "almost irreversible" alterations, which affected the cultural value of the building… 😕
📍Bagrati Cathedral, Kutaisi

07/17/2023

Georgian-speaking Jews are one of the oldest Jewish communities in the world!
According to some accounts Jews arrived to the region of Georgia in 586 BCE, to flee the Babylonian exile.
The 2nd wave came after the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem by the Romans.
These Jews lived pretty peacefully during the centuries, until the Russian Empire occupied Georgia, and anti-semitism and blood libels began, then continued up to the communist years.
Things got so bad, that unlike other Jews in the USSR, Georgian Jews filed petitions to move to Israel like complete communities and not just as individuals.
Once numbering as many as 100.000, today the Georgian Jewish population is approximately 13.000 only, mostly in Tbilisi.
📍Great Synagogue of Tbilisi

07/17/2023

“Church of decapitations”😱
Following a tradition in Georgian architecture of harmonious relationship of temples with the surrounding natural landscape; as you see, Metekhi Church was built to look like a growing continuation of the cliff. ☺️
But this picturesque church has a dark history….
According to medieval chronicles, in 1226 Jalal ad-Din, a sunni sah attacked and conquered Tbilisi. Locals were forced to convert to Islam, and to step on the icons of Jesus and Virgin Mary on the Metekhi bridge.
Those who refused to profane the icons were beheaded. 100.000 of them painted the river red with their blood, and filled it with tehir floating heads. The Georgian church commemorates the 100.000 martyrs on the 13th of November.