BAMBIS RIGI & CHARDIN STREETS

Opposite the synagogue stretches the curved Bambis Rigi, once known as the "Cotton Road". Despite its brand-new appearance, the site is steeped in history. In the Middle Ages, this street was a center for the sale of cotton, wool and fabrics. Later, a caravanserai was built. The Armenian industrialist Mantachev replaced it with a commercial warehouse designed by architect Ghazar Sarkisian, comprising two Art Nouveau buildings. On the left, the building is adjacent to the Artsrouni caravanserai; on the right, the building separates the road from Rue Chardin. The completely renovated Chardin and Bambis Rigi streets stand in stark contrast to the rest of the old town. Rue Chardin was named in honor of the great French traveler, writer and jeweler, known as the "Chevalier Chardin", who explored Georgia in 1671 and was renowned for his travels in the Orient and Persia between the ^17th and ^18th centuries. Bambis Rigi and Chardin Street are dotted with wine cellars, art galleries, a contemporary art center, cafés and restaurants of various categories. You'll see the amusing statue of film director Sergei Paradjanov. At the end of the street, a small square hosts concerts in fine weather. At the end of the street, a reproduction of a small statuette from Vani, known as Tamada. Dated to the ^7th century BC, it depicts a man raising his horn in toast. According to Georgians, it proves that Tamada was already being celebrated back then.