Mother of Georgia Monument, Tbilisi, Georgia
From Narikala, you can take a scenic walk west along the Sololaki ridge. The main landmark is the statue of Mother Georgia. This 20m-tall aluminium symbol of Tbilisi holds a sword in one hand and a cup of wine in the other – a classic metaphor for the Georgian character, warmly welcoming guests and passionately fighting off enemies.
Past Mother Georgia are the ruins of the Shahtakhti fortress, which housed an Arab observatory, and then the enormous private residence of Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgia’s richest man who was prime minister from 2012 to 2013. You can’t see much of the palatial residence up close but from a distance it looks a bit like a space station.
Epic Georgia Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
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