MEÏDAN

Here, you could hear the heartbeat of Tbilissi (as Tbilissi used to be called), in Kvémo Kala, the lower old town, built around Méïdan, "the square" in Persian. Opposite the Metekhi bridge, this was the market square, where kintos, merchants dressed in ample costumes, sold fruit, spices and all manner of foodstuffs. Renovation work has turned the whole place into a tourist attraction, and nothing of the original remains... A basement bazaar for the curious. Return to the authentic, unspoilt streets as you head back towards Place de la Liberté.