Sololaki

Sololaki (also known as Salalaki) is one of the oldest districts of Tbilisi, within the Mtatsminda District; South-eastern part of the city. It is located on the right side of Mtkvari, on the slope of the mountain of the same name, historically a part of the suburb. It occupies the area between the western slopes of the Sololaki ridge and the southern slopes of the Mtatsminda ridge, the present c. Nishnianidze, L. Asatiani, Amagale, d. Chonkadze and G. Areas of Leonidze streets.

History

During the era of Arab domination, an irrigation canal (in Arabic "Sulu-lah") was rebuilt to irrigate the "castle garden". (Note: "Sulu" is not Arabic, water is called "Su" in Turkic languages.) Later the Mountain Slope was named after the irrigation canal "Sulu-lah" on which the area was built. This was the name of the district starting from the 19th century. The toponym "Sololaki" appeared in the 19th century. The earlier name of this place was "Avanaantkhevi". Here were the gardens of Georgian dignitaries. The development of Sololaki began in the first half of the 19th century. In 1847–1851, one section of the Sololaki gorge was covered (the current Leonidze Street and the region of Freedom Square). A caravan was built here (the first opera theater of Tbilisi was built In sololaki, though the building burned down in 1847).