Project Location |Europe, Georgia, Avlabari
Production Date | 2020-01-02

The first small Armenian community in Georgia dates back to the end of the 6th century and the beginning of the 7th century. The migration of Armenian population to the Georgian lands begun in the Middle Ages though, during the Muslim rule of Armenia. Back then, Armenians formed already the single largest group of the Tbilisi‘s population in the 19th century. In that period, due to the contribution of intellectual and business men, the Georgian capital flourished both culturally and economically, Not surprisingly, the city became the center of cultural life of Armenians in the Russian Empire from early 19th century to early 20th century. The persecution in the Ottoman Empire and Persia – ended up into the Armenian genocide – caused a jump in the Armenian population until it reached about 40% of the city total. As of today, Armenians are still the largest ethnic minority in Tbilisi and have left an incredibly rich cultural and architectural imprint, especially in Tbilisi itself: much of the old city was in fact built by Armenians.