Telavi (თელავი)

State Historical & Archaeological Museum, Telavi


Telavi (Georgian: თელავი) is a city in the province of Kakheti in eastern Georgia. It has a population of about 25,000 people (2011 estimate). The city faces the Tsiv-Gombori Range to the south, with the Alazani Valley to the north and east.

Archaeological evidence tells us that the area around Telavi has been inhabited since the Bronze Age. The first mentioned of the city, as Teleda, was found in the documentation of 2nd century AD Greek geographer Ptolemy. Later mentions of the city came from the writings of Arab geographer Al-Muqaddasi in the 10th century.

From the 10th to the 12th century AD, in what is now regarded as the Golden Era of the Georgian State, Telavi became the capital of the Kingdom of Kakheti, and later the Kingdom of Kahet-Hereti. It grew to become one of the major political and economic hubs of Georgia until the 15th century, when its influence was eroded by the disintegration of the Georgian Kingdom.

King's Gate Church, Telavi


When the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakheti was annexed by Russia in 1801, Telavi lost its position as a state capital. Today the city has a good number of historical sites that have been well preserved. They include the four still intact fortifications of the city erected during different historical periods.

Places of Interest in Telavi

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