In Tbilisi, the discovery of hot springs and the legend about the construction of a city on them are associated with one of the greatest Georgian kings, Vakhtang the First, also known as Vakhtang Gorgasali.
In general, the ancient connection of Tbilisi and its inhabitants with the bathhouse culture is confirmed by archaeological excavations carried out on the territory of Abanotubani.
The Arab geographer and traveler of the 10th century, Muhammad ibn Haukal, in his book “Roads and Kingdoms” writes about the Tbilisi baths: “In the city (Tbilisi) there are baths similar to the Tiberias baths, in which the water boils without fire. "
According to historical data from the 13th century, there were 65 mineral water baths in Tbilisi. Information about Tbilisi baths dates back to the 13th-14th centuries. The baths on the territory of Abanotubani were mentioned by the Venetian traveler Marco Polo, in the 18th century. The famous Georgian geographer Vakhushti Bagrationi, XIX century. The great French writer and journalist Alexandre Dumas (father).
In Tbilisi, in the 17th-19th centuries, there were baths - Irakli, Bebuti, Melik, Meytri (Sumbatova), Gogilo, Orbeliani, Tbileli, Mirzoeva, Khoja, “Grili” (Shios), “Chreli” and other baths. Most of the baths that have survived to this day were created in the 17th and 18th centuries under the influence of Persian architecture and were collected in Seydabad (Abanotubani), at the beginning of the rise of the Botanical Garden.
The sulfur baths of Tbilisi were visited not only for hygienic or medical purposes. It was a place where townspeople gathered, spent time, laughed, relaxed, or shared news with each other. Business, trade, and commercial agreements were also made here. Sulfur baths have always been a gathering place for people, often for physical and mental cleansing.
Our bathhouse is symbolically called the “royal bathhouse”. According to tradition, this bathhouse was the favorite place of rest and entertainment of the great King Irakli II.
The Royal Bath has always held a special place in Abanotubani due to its distinctive Persian architecture and exquisite interior aesthetics. Our bathhouse often hosted high-ranking guests, both during the Kartli-Kakheti kingdom, when Georgia was part of the Russian Empire, and during the era of Soviet and independent Georgia.
