Abanotubani
The old bathhouse quarter of Tbilisi, where low brick domes rise from the ground above hot sulphur springs. The city takes its name from this warm water, tbili meaning warm in Georgian, and people still come to soak in the baths.
- Where
- Tbilisi, Tbilisi, Georgia
- Grade
- Local gem
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site
- Coordinates
- 41.6878, 44.8111
Get the Abanotubani stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Abanotubani. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Tbilisi volume with your photos and a note.
Near Abanotubani
Narikala Fortress 0.2 km
An ancient fortress of two walled sections on the steep ridge above Tbilisi and the Kura, between the sulphur baths and the botanical garden. Inside stands St Nicholas church, rebuilt in 1996 and 1997 on the site of a 13th century one lost to fire, its walls painted with scenes from the Bible and Georgian history.
Metekhi Church 0.3 km
A stone church on the Metekhi cliff, on the left bank of the Kura facing the old town. Most of what stands was built between 1278 and 1289 under King Demetrius II, though tradition traces a church here back to the 5th century. A statue of King Vakhtang Gorgasali on horseback stands beside it.
National Botanical Garden of Georgia 0.4 km
A garden of 161 hectares in the Tsavkisis-Tskali gorge, just behind Narikala fortress and the old town. Once the Tbilisi Botanical Garden, it holds more than 4,500 kinds of plants along paths that follow the stream up the valley.
Sioni Cathedral 0.5 km
A cathedral of the Dormition in the old town, named, in an old Georgian custom, after Mount Zion in Jerusalem. It keeps the grapevine cross said to have been carried by St Nino, who brought Christianity to Georgia.
Kartlis Deda 0.5 km
An aluminium figure of a woman standing on the Sololaki ridge above the old town, put up in 1958. She holds a bowl of wine in one hand for those who come as friends and a sword in the other for those who come as enemies.
Rike Park 0.6 km
A modern park on the left bank of the Kura, joined to the old town by the glass Bridge of Peace. Its lawns and fountains face the old quarter across the river, and the cable car that rises to Narikala fortress starts here.
Bridge of Peace 0.6 km
A bow shaped footbridge of steel and glass over the Kura, linking Rike Park with the old town. Opened in 2010 and designed by the Italian architect Michele De Lucchi, it is lit after dark by thousands of LEDs and has quickly become one of the most recognised sights in the capital.
Old Tbilisi 0.7 km
The oldest part of the Georgian capital, a tangle of lanes, carved wooden balconies and church domes along the Kura below Narikala fortress. It was an official district only from 2007 to 2013, but everyone still uses the name, with no exact edges.
More hidden gems in Tbilisi
Questions
Where is Abanotubani?
Abanotubani is in Tbilisi, Tbilisi, Georgia. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Narikala Fortress (0.2 km), Metekhi Church (0.3 km), National Botanical Garden of Georgia (0.4 km).
How do I get the Abanotubani stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Abanotubani and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Tbilisi volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Abanotubani before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Tbilisi volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.