Gori (გორი)

Gori, Georgia, with Gori Cathedral in the foreground


Gori (Georgian: გორი) is a city in central Georgia. The regional capital of Shida Kartli, it has a population of 50,000 people (2011 estimate). The city was the birthplace of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. In recent years, it was occupied by Russian troops during the 2008 Ossetian War.

Gori is located at the confluence of the rivers Mtkvari and Greater Liakhvi, about 588 m (1,929 ft) above sea level. The city experiences a transitional climate between the humid continental and the warm steppe. Summers are hot while winters cold. August is the warmest month, with average high temperatures of 22.5°C (72.5°F). January is the coldest month, when the average low temperature drops to -1.2°C (29.8°F). May is the wettest month here, receiving 76 mm (3 in) of rainfall.

Human habitation in the Gori area goes back to the early Bronze age. The town itself was founded in the 11th century by King David IV. Earliest settlers were Armenian refugees. Its location at the crossroads of medieval trade routes made it both a center for commerce as well as a target of foreign invasions.

Stalin Museum, Gori


Gori was captured by the Ottomans in the late 16th century until 1599. It was then captured by the Persians in 1614, and in the following century, pendulumed between Persian and Ottoman rule. It returned to Georgian control under King Teimuraz II (1680-1762). Following Russian annexation of Georgia, Gori began to develop and industrialize.

The growth of Gori was momentarily derailed by the 1920 earthquake, but it continue to develop as an industrial center. The collapse of the Soviet Union brought economic crisis to Gori. The Georgian-Ossetian conflict of 2008 also destablize the town. As of now, recovering is still ongoing.

Gori Fortress

Visiting Gori

There are minibuses (marshrutkas) from Tbilisi to Gori. You can catch the minibuses at the Didube Market area in Tbilisi.

Places of Interest in Gori

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