Metekhi Church (Metekhi) and King Vakhtang Gorgasali Statue

Metekhi Church stands on a cliff above the Mtkvari River on Metekhi Street in Tbilisi, beside Metekhi Bridge on the Avlabari bank. The site was the seat of Georgian kings in the early medieval period, and the present church, a single-domed building of brick and stone, dates from the thirteenth century under King Demetre II. Its dedication is to the Assumption of the Virgin. The complex served as a royal residence and fortress, and later as a prison during the Russian imperial and Soviet periods, before it was returned to the Georgian Orthodox Church. In front of the church, an equestrian statue of King Vakhtang Gorgasali, the legendary founder of Tbilisi, was erected in 1967 and faces the Old Town. According to tradition, the king chose the site after his falcon fell into a hot spring, and the statue is one of the city's most recognisable monuments. Visitors can walk around the church terrace, which is open at all hours, and enter the church during opening hours for a quiet look at its interior, which has icons and a small altar. The terrace offers some of the best views of the Old Town, the Narikala Fortress ridge, the sulfur bath domes, the Bridge of Peace and the river. Late afternoon gives warm light on the hillside and is the best time for photographers, and the evening lights are attractive. A visit takes about 30 minutes. The church is an active place of worship, so modest dress is expected: women cover their heads and shoulders, and men remove hats. Crowds are light apart from tour groups at midday and evening visitors in summer. The site can be reached on foot in about ten minutes from Freedom Square across Metekhi Bridge, or by metro to Avlabari and an eight-minute walk downhill.