Tbilisi or Tbilisi (Georgian: თბილისი) is the capital and largest city of Georgia located on the banks of the Kura River with a population of about 1,500,000 people. Founded in the fifth century by Vakhtang I Gorgasali, King of the Kingdom of Iberia, Tbilisi has since become the capital of various Georgian kingdoms and republics. Between 1801 and 1917, when it was under the rule of the former Russian Empire, Tbilisi was the seat of the imperial governor, who ruled both the South and North Caucasus.

Because of its location at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, and its proximity to breeder trade routes