In the Tsavkisistskali River Valley, in the historical center of Old Tbilisi, there is a botanical garden where you can walk along the picturesque terraces, get acquainted with history, and also hide in the shade of trees during the summer heat. It is interesting for the variety of plant species, beautiful landscapes, architectural sights.
From the history of the garden
The collection of strange plants in these places of Georgia has been known since 1671. In those days, on the present territory there were three gardens that belonged to the royal family, and they were called royal. In 1795, during a fire in Tbilisi, they completely burned down, as evidenced by historical documents. All that remains of the burnt royal gardens, became the property of the state.
The history of the revived botanical garden of Tbilisi begins in 1845. This year, the tsar’s governor in the Caucasus, Count Mikhail Vorontsov, signed an order to create a botanical garden. Grace came when the royal gardens became the property of the Academy of Sciences. Around the 50s of the XIX century, scientific work began to be carried out aimed at introducing plants and identifying the possibility of using them in this area, and the distribution of seeds of local plants along mountain ranges began. In 1861, the scientist decorator-gardener from France, Sharer created a greenhouse in which he grew flowers. The name "French" was attached to it, since the material for its creation was sourced from France. Currently, nothing is grown in the greenhouse, but it is kept clean.
Contribution of a German scientist
The Botanical Garden had many managers, but the best of all was the German scientist Adolf Roloff, who did much useful for the development of the Tbilisi Botanical Garden. Under him, scientific departments and testing stations were established, engaged in the selection of plant species, laboratories producing soil analyzes began to work. At the initiative of the scientist, periodicals were published. With the income brought by the garden, the purchase of land located next to the botanical garden began. Adolf Roloff created the museum (now it does not work) and published a catalog of plants growing in the botanical garden.
Expansion of the territory of the Botanical Garden
Over the years, the botanical garden has expanded. Now its area is more than 161 hectares, and the collection of plants has crossed the mark of 4.5 thousand species. At one time, the dendrologist Yakov Medvedev compiled a herbarium of plants in the Caucasus and opened a library. Local Caucasian plants include pines, firs and cypresses.
The flora is widely represented by shrub plants: cotoneaster, hawthorn, barberry, honeysuckle. Palms and cedars delight with their beauty. World flora is represented by ornamental and fruit plants.
Entrance to the Botanical Garden
How to get to the botanical garden in Tbilisi for tourists who want to relax after city tours? Since the last century, the entrance to the garden is located, which is located on Botanical Street at the foot of the Narikala fortress. In 1914, it was decided to make a second entrance to the garden from Lado Asatiani Street. For this, a tunnel was dug, which lasted almost a hundred years. In 2009, it was closed due to the fact that a rock club was formed on its territory. There is another entrance from Abonotuban, in the oldest part of Tbilisi. By the way, there is an option how to get to the botanical garden in Tbilisi very quickly. You can take the cable car from Rike Park to Narikala Fortress. From the park you should climb to the fortress, and then go, focusing on the sign "Botanical Garden".
sights
The Tsavkisistskali river flowing through the botanical garden turns into a shallow brook in the summer heat. Bridges are thrown over it. The ancient bridge dates back to the reign of Queen Tamara and is named after her. It is believed that this is the oldest building in Tbilisi. Tbilisi Botanical Garden did not exist yet. Through this bridge, the road went to Mtskheta from Iran. A beautiful arched bridge, located above the waterfall, was built in 1914. From it you can watch the water rushing along the mountain slope falling on stones with a noise. The bridge offers a wonderful view of the botanical garden and its surroundings, as far as the eye can see. The third bridge is hinged.
Having crossed the bridge, which is above the waterfall, you can follow the path leading up to the Mother of Kartli monument, erected in honor of the 1500th anniversary of Tbilisi.
On the northern slope of the Tabor Range was the most important Muslim cemetery, where famous Azerbaijanis were buried: writers, poets, statesmen. In the 1960s, the cemetery was destroyed. True, something was saved. In 2012, this piece of land was ennobled. The place of this cemetery is not widely known even in Tbilisi.
Working hours
Opening hours of the Tbilisi Botanical Garden depend on the season of the year:
- from March 1 to March 31 from 9:00 to 18:00;
- from April 1 to August 31 from 9:00 to 20:00;
- from September 1 to September 30 from 9:00 to 19:00;
- from October 1 to February 28 from 9:00 to 17:00.
You can spend as much time in the botanical garden as you want to be there, but you must meet the visiting hours indicated for a particular season. Walking in the botanical garden is interesting both in the excursion group and on your own. There are excursion routes in the botanical garden. This is the Small Circle, which is 1.3 km long. On its route will meet the museum building, which does not work, and a completely modern playground. This is a short walk in the garden. There is a route "Old Park". It runs through the places where there were ancient royal gardens.
According to the recommendations of gardeners, you need to visit the botanical garden in April, when various types of plants and flowers begin to bloom. Almost until mid-autumn, it is also attractive. In winter, the garden is not so beautiful without foliage on the trees. It becomes transparent, and only conifers stand in their "clothes". The opening hours of the Tbilisi Botanical Garden are all days of the week, except Mondays.
Botanical Garden
Entrance to the botanical garden is paid - 2 lari, which is slightly less than $ 1. You can pay 1 more lari and visit Greenhouse - "Green House" with tropical plants. Having crossed the bridge over the river, you find yourself in the world of wildlife, which is literally in the center of Tbilisi. The botanical garden is very similar to a well-groomed forest. Tourists can find small cars on garden terraces or fenced paths, in which gardeners travel around the vast territory of this reserve. An excursion for guests of the botanical garden can also be offered on the same typewriters. Such a service is inexpensive and lasts a little over an hour.
The territory of the botanical garden is divided into thematic zones: coniferous trees, deciduous trees and shrubs, broad-leaved trees and shrubs, the flora of the Caucasus and valuable medicinal plants. Near the lower entrance there is a Japanese-style equipped garden.
Botanical Garden Tours
Guides from the garden lead the legendary bamboo grove fenced with a ribbon (you can only look from the side) and an old gazebo in which the reigning people loved to relax. From the side of the arbor the cypress alley is perfectly visible . There is a fork in it. If you go up, you can get to the romantic fountain. Exotic plants brought from tropical countries, as well as plant specimens of this area also grow in the botanical garden. Many tourists who have visited the Tbilisi Botanical Garden more than once try to come in the citrus flowering season. Their magical aroma and contemplation of the flowering process will delight you. There are species of trees and shrubs in the Tbilisi Botanical Garden that are listed in the Red Book of Georgia.
Flowers are everywhere: in the flower beds and in the garden sector, where medicinal plants grow. Once, creating a botanical garden, there was a plan to organize a garden with medicinal herbs. Now in the territory of the botanical garden there is a sector reserved for them. Blooming buddles, chrysanthemums, Kalanchoe grow here. Gardeners create ever-blooming flower beds. On them, always some flowering plants smoothly replace others. The flower beds created in stumps and fallen trees look very picturesque.
The historical part of the garden and its plants
On the slope of the Sololaksky Range is the oldest part of the garden. It covers an area of about 6 hectares. The age of trees is from 150 to 200 years. A stone tree grows here (Celtis caucasica), which is approximately 180 years old. It is quite difficult to meet this unusual tree in the Caucasus, and in the botanical garden you can see it and even try to wrap your arms around it. It has a girth of 85 centimeters, a height of 16 meters. There is one more tree listed in the Red Book of Georgia in this part of the Tbilisi Botanical Garden (pictured below) - this is the dzelkva hornbeam. It is very high - 32 meters, and a girth of 82 centimeters.
The legendary berry yew is also an outstanding inhabitant of these places. This plant with bright fruits and poisonous seeds has been growing since the time of the reigning rulers of Georgia. A rare plant in the Tbilisi garden is the prehistoric gingko biloba tree.
Reviews
The botanical garden of Tbilisi is mainly told by tourists who visited it. Everyone is very pleased to be in the garden among centuries-old trees, to feel the aroma of medicinal herbs and flowers. You leave the botanical garden peppy and in a good mood, as if you were in paradise, say guests of the garden. Tourists also like the fact that the garden is located in the city center. For many of them, it seems that the garden is more like a park, it is pleasant to walk in it, feeling peace, silence and beauty. Even in winter, the botanical garden attracts tourists as a secluded place, setting up to contemplate the surrounding nature. Here you feel peaceful and you just want to wander through the virgin nature, many of the guests of the park say.
The sad truth is that residents of Tbilisi almost never visit the botanical garden. Therefore, the garden for citizens is a one-time attraction, which can not be said about the guests of the city. The botanical garden is interesting to them at any time of the year.
Prospects for the development of the garden
In 2016, an exchange of territories was made. Part of the southwestern part of the botanical garden was exchanged for a new site on Mount Tabor. Director of the Botanical Garden Tamaz Darchidze said that the transferred territory was not actually used by the garden. On the new plot, the land is quite fertile and suitable for growing plants. And another advantage that the garden received was the opportunity to create an observation deck on Mount Tabor. The city needed the southwestern section to build a bypass road.
The Director of the Tbilisi Botanical Garden enthusiastically shares his plans for the development of the garden and the future prospect of attracting a large number of tourists. The plans include the improvement of roads, new routes, food facilities. In the near future, the Botanical Garden should become an attractive object for both citizens and guests of Tbilisi. The income that the garden will receive is planned to be spent on developing infrastructure, growing new collections, and research.
There are plans for the director to return the entrance park through the tunnel. And he also invites all city guests to visit the Tbilisi Botanical Garden at the following address: 1 Botanicheskaya St. (Botanikuri St, 1). A journey through the wonderful garden will be exciting and eventful.