Kutaisi Municipality
Kutaisi in Imereti: Bagrati Cathedral, Colchis Fountain, the Rioni bridges and Gelati nearby. History, tips and route ideas.
Kutaisi Municipality — overview
MunicipalityHistory
Kutaisi Municipality is the self-governing city of Kutaisi, the administrative centre of the Imereti region in western Georgia. Unlike most Georgian municipalities, it consists of the city alone, covering about 67.7 km² on both banks of the Rioni River, where the river leaves the hills of central Imereti and enters the Kolkheti lowland. This position between the mountains and the plain has made Kutaisi a natural crossroads of western Georgia for thousands of years, and today it remains the main urban, educational and transport hub of the region.
Kutaisi is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the region. Archaeological evidence indicates that it functioned as a capital of Colchis in the 6th–5th centuries BC, and the city is often linked with Aia, the residence of King Aeëtes in the Greek legend of the Argonauts. Around 786, King Leon II of Abkhazia moved his capital here, and from 1008 to 1122 Kutaisi was the capital of the unified Kingdom of Georgia, until David IV the Builder transferred the capital to Tbilisi.
The most prominent symbol of that era is Bagrati Cathedral, built on Ukimerioni Hill during the reign of King Bagrat III; an inscription records that its floor was laid in 1003. In 1692 Ottoman troops devastated the cathedral, causing the cupola and ceiling to collapse. Restoration began in the 1950s; in 1994 Bagrati was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List together with Gelati Monastery, but its status was removed in 2017 after the later reconstruction was criticised for harming the monument’s authenticity.
From the 15th century until 1810 Kutaisi was the capital of the Kingdom of Imereti, until the kingdom was annexed by the Russian Empire. In the 19th and early 20th centuries the city served as the centre of the Kutaisi Governorate, which covered much of western Georgia, and it developed as a cultural centre with theatres, schools and a lively boulevard that poet Akaki Tsereteli called the “Parliament of Kutaisi”. In more recent history, Georgia’s Parliament was based in Kutaisi from 2012 until it returned to Tbilisi in 2019.
For visitors, Kutaisi is the gateway to western Georgia. David the Builder Kutaisi International Airport lies about 14 km west of the city. In the centre, the Colchis Fountain on the main square displays enlarged figures based on gold artefacts found at Vani, and the historic bridges over the Rioni — including the White Bridge — connect the old town with Bagrati Hill. The city also has a botanical garden, a drama theatre and an opera and ballet theatre. Just outside the city, Gelati Monastery, founded by David IV in 1106 and still a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies a few kilometres to the east, while Sataplia and Prometheus Cave are in neighbouring Tskaltubo Municipality — making Kutaisi an ideal base for day trips.
FAQ
1) Where is Kutaisi Municipality located?
In the Imereti region of western Georgia, on both banks of the Rioni River.
2) What does the municipality include?
It is a city municipality — it consists of the city of Kutaisi itself (about 67.7 km²).
3) Is Kutaisi the centre of Imereti?
Yes, Kutaisi is the administrative centre of the Imereti region.
4) How old is Kutaisi?
Archaeological evidence shows that it was a capital of Colchis in the 6th–5th centuries BC.
5) When was Kutaisi the capital of Georgia?
It was the capital of the unified Kingdom of Georgia from 1008 to 1122.
6) When was Bagrati Cathedral built?
During the reign of King Bagrat III; an inscription dates the laying of its floor to 1003.
7) Is Bagrati Cathedral a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
It was inscribed in 1994 together with Gelati Monastery, but its status was removed in 2017. Gelati Monastery remains on the list.
8) How far is Gelati Monastery from Kutaisi?
Gelati lies a few kilometres east of the city and is an easy half-day trip.
9) Where is Kutaisi International Airport?
David the Builder Kutaisi International Airport is about 14 km west of the city.
10) Where can I find official municipal information?
On the official website of Kutaisi City Hall.