 The fortification walls of the palace of King Erekle II in Telavi | ||
| თელავი, Telavi, Telavi | ||
| Region (Mchare) | Kakheti | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 19.629 (2014) | |
| height | 490 m | |
| Tourist info | 995 350 275317 - | |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | ||
| location | ||
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Telavi (Georg. თელავი, in English Telavi), 70 km east of Tbilisi, is the capital of the Georgian administrative region Kakheti. The city in the Alasanital is - next to Sighnaghi - an important tourist center of the region and, thanks to the large selection of accommodation, is ideal as a base camp for exploring the area (churches, monasteries, viticulture). On the other hand, Telavi and the surrounding sights are also a good destination for a day trip Tbilisi.
The Alasanital is the most important wine-growing region in Georgia and is considered to be "the cradle of viticulture", from where wine has spread all over the world.
The similarity of the city name with Tel Aviv is addressed in numerous Georgian jokes.
background
Telavi first appears in the 2nd century on the world map Geographike Hyphegesis by the Greek geographer Ptolemy as Teleda. The name comes from the Georgian word Tela and means elm in German.
Under Kvirike the Great, the city became the capital of the Kingdom of Kakheti-Heretia in the 9th century and, thanks to its location on the Silk Road, developed into an important trading center in Georgia until the 12th century. King Artschil II made the place the capital of Kakheti, built a palace and a fortress.
Today Telavi is a center of Georgian viticulture and the seat of many wineries.
getting there
By plane
A few kilometers north of the city is the 1 Khurdgelauri Airportbut it is not currently in operation. Plans over the past few years to expand this airport have come to nothing.
This means that the next airport with scheduled operations is in Tbilisi
By train
The 2 railway station is about 3 km northeast of the city center, but takes place on the Kakheti Railway (Tbilisi-Gurjaani-Telawi) there has been no passenger traffic for years.
By bus
There are two bus stations in Telavi, both are on Alazani Avenue (Alazani Ave.). The 3 new bus station was about 300 m north of the 4 old erected.
From Tbilisi minibuses run every hour from Samgori train station, usually with a short stop in Isani to Telavi (approx. 7 GEL). These take the much longer route via Gurdschaani.
From Isani there are also so-called "shared taxis". A taxi driver looks for 4 passengers until the car is full and then drives, each passenger pays for himself. The journey is usually faster and more pleasant than with a minibus (but a bit more expensive, 12 GEL p.p.), but it can happen that you have to wait hours for the car to be full. Experience has shown that the chances of a short waiting time are highest in the early afternoon. The "shared taxis" drive the direct route over the pass.
In the street
- There are two ways to get there from Tbilisi: The classic route leads along the ს 5 Sagaredscho to Bakurstsike, from there take the regional road შ 42 Gurjaani to Telavi. Distance: approx. 140 km. The newly developed regional road შ 38 branches off shortly after the Tbilisi city limits at Vaziani from the ს 5 and leads over the Gombori pass directly to Telavi (approx. 70 km). The Gombori route is significantly shorter, but hardly faster because of the many curves. In snowy conditions, it is advisable to drive the long way, as you usually stay on the flat.
- From Azerbaijan you can take the Lagodechi border crossing and then take the regional road შ 43 from Ninigori Kvareli drive, at Gremi then straight ahead on the regional road შ 70 directly to Telavi. This route is also very well developed.
- The regional road between Akhmeta above Tianeti to Georgian Army Road is currently being rebuilt (summer 2019). There are places alternating with fresh asphalt and gravel.
mobility
You can walk within Telavi, and minibuses drive into the surrounding area. Taxis and hitchhiking also offer good and cheap opportunities to explore the area.
Tourist Attractions
Telavi old town
- The facades of numerous buildings in downtown Telavi have been renovated or redesigned by the government at great expense for several years, and some buildings are also being rebuilt. The redesign is taking place in a historicizing style that was previously used in the small town around 50 kilometers away Sighnaghi was redesigned. The striking skyscraper of the former Hotel Intourist, which was inhabited for a long time by refugees from Abkhazia and then stood empty, is also being completely renovated. The renovation activities are seen as ambivalent at home and abroad. On the one hand, it is important to invest in the old building fabric again after decades. On the other hand, the renovation is partly not true to the original and ignores monument protection. Critics also think that the renovation only includes the erection of Potemkin facades, the houses behind remain in the same poor condition as before.
- In the city center one remembers 1 Equestrian monument to King Erekle II, who ruled Kakheti from 1744 to 1798.
- There is one not far from the monument 2 900 year old plane tree It is said to be the oldest tree in Georgia and is 46 meters high with a 36 meters wide crown. The tree is popularly called Chadari.
Palace of King Erekle II
The architecture of the royal residence, 3 Palace of King Erekle II shows Persian influences from the period of occupation by the southern neighbor. The fortress Batoni (Georgian Batonis Ziche) around the palace with battlements and watchtowers dates from the Middle Ages. Today it houses a picture gallery and a historical-ethnographic museum.
Zinandali
The village of Zinandali (წინანდალი, Tsinandali) is located approx. 7 km east of Telavi and is one of the most important wine-growing areas in the country. This is where the Zinandali winery, which has been expanded to become a wine-growing museum, is located House-Museum of Alexandre Chavchavadze.4 House-Museum of Alexandre Chavchavadze
The Georgian officer and poet Alexandre Tschawtschawadze built his country house in Zinandali in 1835, the winery was founded in 1886 after overcoming the phylloxera crisis. Many of the basement rooms, which are designed for a storage capacity of ten million liters, have been emptied over the years. However, some rarities have been preserved. Around 16,500 bottles are stored in the treasure chamber at a constant 10-14 ° C and a humidity of 60-70%. About 500 bottles date from the 19th century. However, their ability to drink is questioned as no bottle has been re-corked or refilled since the Soviet era. Small quantities of wine have only been stored again since 2003.
In addition to its wine-historical importance, the winery also has an important literary-historical background. The builder Alexandre Chavchavadze was one of the most important Georgian poets, whose residence became a meeting place for important writers in the 19th century. Alexandre Dumas, Marie Felicité Brosset, Alexander Puschkin, Michail Lermontow and Alexander Gribojedow stayed in this winery. Hence it is also called "the literary heart of writers and poets.
In addition to its renovated main building, the winery also houses several renovated outbuildings and a large, well-tended park. Wine production no longer takes place in this historic winery, but there is an upscale restaurant.
Ikalto Monastery
7 kilometers west of Telavi is the former academy and monastery of Ikalto. 5 Ikalto Monastery
The monastery was founded in the second half of the 6th century by Zenon Iqaltoeli (dt. Who comes from Iqalto), a Christian religious founder who was one of the so-called 13 Syrian fathers. He is said to be buried there too. In the 12th century the theologian Arsen Iqaltoeli founded the academy on behalf of the Georgian King David the Builder. He was trained at the Academy of Mangana in Constantinople and initially worked in the somewhat older Academy of Gelati together with Johannes Petrizi. The academy was the cultural center of Georgia for centuries. She taught theology, philosophy, astronomy, rhetoric, law and mathematics. Viticulture and blacksmithing were also carried out on the site. In 1616 the academy was destroyed by Shah Abbas I.
In 1938 the area was examined archaeologically. 59 buildings were found, several craft shops and a wine press. Today there are three churches and the ruins of the academy on the site. The main church, Chwtaeba (dt. Holy Spirit), dates from the 8th century.
Shuamta monastery complex
About 10 km west of Telavi on the route over the Gombori Pass, there is the junction to the Alt Schuamta and New Schuamta monasteries. The Shuamta monasteries (the name means "located between the mountains") are located at the foot of the Ziwgombori mountain, about 1015 m above sea level. In 2008 both monasteries were renovated and the access road paved.
After about 3 km you reach first 6 New Shuamta(Georgian ახალი შუამთა; ɑχɑlɪ ʃʊɑmtʰɑ), a Georgian Orthodox nunnery from the 16th century. The main church of the monastery was built from bricks, the walls are decorated with frescoes. The wife of King Levan II, Tinatin, founded this monastery when Old Shuamta was deserted. The founder Tinatin died in Neu Shuamta, where her grave is also located.
After another 2 km you finally reach 7 Old Shuamta(Georgian ძველი შუამთა; d͡zvɛlɪ ʃʊɑmtʰɑ), with a basilica from the 5th century and two churches with domes, both from the 7th century. The larger dome church is similar in type and architecture to the Georgian monastery Jvari. All the churches in the monastery are built of cut stone. Alt Shuamta was abandoned in the 16th century and only settled again a few years ago.
Fortified church Gremi
The 8 Gremier Cathedral (Georgian გრემის ტაძარი) is a Georgian Orthodox cathedral in the village of Gremi, 10 km northeast of Telavi in the district Kvareli and is located on a hill west of the village. The Gremier Cathedral was built in 1565 by the Kakheti King Levan. The frescoes date from 1577. The cathedral is made of brick and has three entrance doors on the western, southern and northern walls. Before the cathedral was built, there was a tower on the hill, which today still serves as a free-standing bell tower next to the church. With the mighty brick wall, Gremi was also a fortress.
The fortified church is located directly on the regional road შ 43, from Telavi you follow the შ 70 until it turns into the შ 43 and then straight ahead Kvareli. From Telavi, minibuses to Gremi, Schilda and Kvareli pass the church (2 GEL). A taxi from Telavi costs 10-15 GEL. 2 km further up in the village the Temi community can also be visited (see activities, below).
Alaverdi
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The orthodox 9 Alaverdi Monastery (Georgian: ალავერდი, ალავერდის მონასტერი) is located near the village of the same name, about 15 km from Telavi and 25 kilometers from the city Akhmeta away. The access is via the regional road შ 184 (Atskuri - Kwemo Alwani)
The monastery was founded in the 4th century by Ioseb Alawerdeli (Ioseb of Alawerdi). In the 11th century a new larger church was built in the monastery of Kwirike III. (King of Kakheti) erected. This building is still a main church of the Alaverdi Monastery and is known under the name "Alaverdi Cathedral" (Georgian: ალავერდის ტაძარი). The cathedral is the third largest church in Georgia (after the Sameba Cathedral and the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral) and at 50 meters the second highest after the Sameba Cathedral.
Nekressi
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- 10 Nekressi (Georgian ნეკრესი; nɛkʼrɛsɪ) is a historic town and Georgian Orthodox monastery located near the village of Schilda, 10 km west of Kvareli and about 35 km northeast of Telavi. The city was founded in the 2nd or 1st century BC. Founded by the Iberian King Parnajomi in the 4th century AD. King Mirdat had a church built there, in which one of the thirteen Syrian fathers - Abibos Nekresseli - worked in the 6th century. During this time the Nekressi diocese was founded and existed until the 19th century. Soon Nekressi became an important place in the region because of its strategic location. Nekressi was a center for training and hagiography.
The Nekressi monastery complex consists of several churches and other monastic buildings. The oldest building of the monastery, the small basilica from the 4th century, is also one of the oldest churches in Georgia that still exists today. In the monastery there is also a large basilica from the 7th century, which is an example of a three-church basilica, a separate Georgian type of church. In the 8th century, another church with a dome was built in Nekressi. In the complex there is also a two-story bishop's palace from the 8th / 9th centuries. Century. A tower was built in the monastery in the 16th century. The historical city is partially archaeologically worked up and can be visited.
The approach to Nekressi is about 5 km west of Kvareli via an asphalted spur road (შ 197) from the regional road შ 43. After about 3 km you will reach a parking lot where you have to park your car, there are also the excavations. Access to the monastery is then either possible on foot (about 2.5 km steep uphill) or with a shuttle bus that commutes between the parking lot and the monastery (1 GEL).
activities
Wine tasting and cellar tours in the area
- 1 Marani winery in Kurdgelauri (5 km north of Telavi), Tel 995 350 23 61 11; E-Mail [email protected] - Cellar tours Mon-Fri (weekdays) 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (11 euros p.p.), tasting (10 a.m. - 4 p.m. daily) from 12 euros p.p.
- Schuchmann winery, in Kisiskhevi (5 km east of Telavi). See "kitchen".Price: Wine tasting 15-35 lari p.p., with food from 30 lari p.p.
- 2 Temi Community, Gremi (Follow the signs for the wine route from the Wehrkiche). Tel.: 995 591 633 633, Email: [email protected]. Organic Kvevri quality wines produced by a community of socially disadvantaged people. You can just pass by and you will be welcomed very friendly. Someone who speaks German and / or English and possibly Russian (and of course Georgian) will always be there. There are tastings, opening a qvevris (amphora for traditional wine production), making churtschela yourself (walnut and grape juice specialty) and other, sometimes seasonal, activities. If you reserve in advance, you can also eat.Open: Daily 10 am-8pm.
Bike tour
- Temi Community (see wine tasting above). Tel.: 995 591 633 633, Email: [email protected] (Info and booking). Temi rents bicycles for tours through the vineyards around Gremi.Price: 10-25 Lari p.p.
shop
- The 1 Urban market is located on Alazanis Gamziri across from the old bus station.
- In the city center there are branches of the largest banks in the country, as well as numerous ATMs
kitchen
There are numerous smaller and larger restaurants in and around Telavi. A large selection of restaurants and cafés can be found in the city center on Erekle II Street and around the Royal Palace. There are also numerous excursion restaurants in the surrounding area that offer good and inexpensive Georgian cuisine. Otherwise, the hotel restaurants (see "Accommodation") are also good places to eat, where you can hardly go wrong.
Upscale
- 3 Schuchmann winery, Kisiskhevi village. Tel.: 995 7 90 55 70 45, Fax: 995 7 90 55 70 45, Email: [email protected]. A modern winery with a restaurant and a small hotel, offers cellar tours and wine tastings.
Family
- Temi Community (See wine tasting above). Temi offers traditional Georgian food at relatively low prices, but you have to order in advance.
nightlife
accommodation
In Telavi and the surrounding area there is a large selection of inexpensive private accommodation as well as a handful of middle-class hotels:
- 1 Alazani Veli and Kahketian Yard, Alazanis Gamziri 74. Tel.: 995 350 274144, Email: [email protected]. two hotels from the same operator right next to each other.Price: DR from 80 GEL.
- 2 Rcheuli Marani, I. Chavchavadze St. 154. Tel.: 995 570 506030, Email: [email protected]. The Rcheuli chain operates decent middle-class hotels with an attached restaurant in several Georgian cities.Price: DZ 105 GEL.
That too Schuchmann winery in Kisiskhevi offers a few but upscale rooms, prices from 170 GEL per room (for contact details see "Kitchen")
- 3 Savaneti, Vilage Ikalto, Telavi 2206. Tel.: 995 577 05 60 04. Upscale 57-room hotel, restaurant serving traditional Kakheti cuisine, outdoor swimming pool and sauna.
Learn
- State Iakob Gogebashvili University of Telavi, in the south of the city. It was founded in 1999 and, in addition to the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and medicine, mainly teaches oenology (viticulture). The forerunner was the Pedagogical Institute founded in 1939. In 2006 it had 2,241 enrolled students as well as 225 professors and research assistants.
- The Georgian Technical University has a branch in Telavi.
Work
security
The crime rate in Telavi is low.
health
Numerous clinics - including specialized ones - are located in the south of the city on the mountainside, near the university.
Practical advice
- There is one in Telavi 1 Tourist Information, Erekle II Street 9. Tel.: 995 350 275317, Email: [email protected]. Open: Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Sat-Sun 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
- The postal code of Telavi is 2200
- Georgian Post, Telavi Service Center, Erekle II Str. 12.
- In the city center there are also service centers for the most popular mobile phone providers in Georgia
trips
Telavi is a good base camp to go to Kakheti to explore in more detail. There are good excursion possibilities from Telavi to the various churches and monasteries in the area, as well as to:
- Sighnaghi
- Pankisital
- Kvareli and lake
- Lopota lake
Telavi is also a good stopover on the way to Tusheti.
literature
Web links
- http://gori.iatp.org.ge/maineng/indexeng.htm - Telavi official website
