Mother of Georgia (Kartlis Deda)

Kartlis Deda, the Mother of Georgia, is the 20-metre figure that stands on the crest of Sololaki Hill above the Old Town, just west of Narikala. Clad in aluminium, she holds a bowl of wine in one hand to greet those who come as friends and a sword in the other for those who come as enemies, a neat summary of how Georgians like to see themselves. The statue is visible from much of central Tbilisi, especially from Freedom Square and the river, and it has become one of the city's most familiar silhouettes.

Most visitors reach the statue on foot from the top of the Narikala cable car, walking about 10 minutes west along the ridge path. Up close you see her mostly from below, but the path gives good views over Sololaki, Rustaveli Avenue and Mtatsminda on one side and the Botanical Garden on the other. There is no entrance fee. Combine it with Narikala and walk back down through Sololaki or Abanotubani.

The statue was erected in 1958, the year Tbilisi celebrated its 1,500th anniversary, and was designed by sculptor Elguja Amashukeli. The first version was wooden and meant to be temporary. It was covered in aluminium in 1963 to protect it from the weather, and in 1997 it was replaced with the new aluminium statue that stands today.