Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia

When Subway came to Georgia in 2014, it had to appeal to a new market, one that did not speak English. To fit in, Subway looked to the native Mkhedruli alphabet for signage. Yet, it did not abandon the Latin Alphabet. There are over 40,000 Subway restaurants around the world. [2015]

Tbilisi, Georgia

Read it as you would English: from left to right. It's Georgian, a unique language related only to a few others (Svan, Mingrelian, Laz) in one of the world's premier linguistic refuge areas, the Caucasus Mountains, a place where a passel of ancient tongues holds on for dear life. [2015]

Tbilisi, Georgia

People of Tbilisi: Even though he looks like he is roosting in a tree, he is is actually standing on a wall keeping a high profile (literally) while his face unknowingly manifests the very soul of Georgia. [2015]

Tbilisi, Georgia

People of Tbilisi: They look like young professionals (two of many in Georgia's capital city) who have taken leave of their offices to meet and embrace for just a few minutes in the city's abundant public spaces. [2015]

Tbilisi, Georgia

People of Tbilisi: Let's stipulate that the Georgian Orthodox Church is the most respected institution in Georgia. Then, let's ask whether this priest's countenance, his beard, and his vestments (standard appearance for all priests) put a barrier between him and the world in which his flock lives. Does the Georgian church allow room for modernization? [2015]

Tbilisi, Georgia

St. George slaying the dragon (slaying sin in the Christian tradition) stands in the center of Georgia's capital city. It's a national point of pride. Why? Because it all happened in Georgia. The dragon originally guarded the golden fleece in Colchis, and the fleece represented power and authority. Grab the fleece, and you become the ruler. [2015]

Tbilisi, Georgia

Five thousand years ago right here in southwest Asia the game of backgammon was born, and it is still being played, inside and outside, all over the region. [2016]

Tbilisi, Georgia

Bring forth the royal diadem and crown Tbilisi the lord of Georgian Christianity, the country's nation-building religion. That's the message conveyed by the Georgian Orthodox Cathedral on the hill. [2018]

Tbilisi, Georgia

Bolstered by its Christian roots, the Georgian alphabet has survived for almost a millennium and has become a bulwark of Georgian nationalism. With only 4 million speakers, though, think of the pressures to adopt something more widespread. For the Soviet-era seat warmers it was the Cyrillic alphabet, and for the post-Soviet youngling it is the Roman alphabet. [2015]

Tbilisi, Georgia

In the past, the Mtkvari River served as a semi-encompassing moat around the castle. Today, it's a recreational resource for the men of Tbilisi who enjoy fishing from its banks. There they are, constantly confronted by icons of Georgian independence: King Gorgasali and the Georgian Orthodox Church. [2015]

Tbilisi, Georgia

Although he lived in the 5th century, shortly after his people became follower of Jesus, King Gorgasali still reigns in Georgia. From his hilltop perch, he keeps watch over a strategic bend in the Mtkvari River. Today, a glance at his equestrian statue must also include a view of the Metekh Church: a reminder of the unifying power of Christianity. [2015]

Tbilisi, Georgia

The Zion Cathedral dominates the landscape of old Tbilisi. It anchors the Georgian Orthodox Church, which was founded by the "first called" of Jesus' disciples. Both you and these roof-top men know his name. What is it? [2015]

Tbilisi, Georgia

She's speaking a language that fewer than 4 million people in the world can understand. She's flanking an alphabet that fewer than 4 million people in the world can read. The Georgian language has shaped its nation-state for over a thousand years. And, even as linguistic extinction events have overtaken other tongues, Georgian remains a survivor. [2015]

Tbilisi, Georgia

In Tbilisi, fresh-fruit-and-vegetable vendors insinuate themselves into every nook and cranny they can find along the city's well-trafficked sidewalks. Of course, there are central markets and neighborhood markets, too. The result is that no matter where you look, there are lots of fresh-food choices. Compare with American cities. [2015[

Tbilisi, Georgia

Based on location, this would be a sidewalk market. It comprises a few crates that occupy pedestrian space by the side of the road. If you are walking, there is no way to avoid it, and that's what makes it a successful location. In our typology so far, we have central markets and sidewalk markets. [2015]

Tbilisi, Georgia

Like a crown atop Elia hill in Tbilisi stands Holy Trinity Cathedral, the largest church in the Georgian Orthodox realm. Today, Pope Francis began his visit to the Caucasus with hopes of mending tears in the Catholic-Orthodox relationship. Too bad the Georgian Orthodox prelate Ilia II could not find it in his heart to welcome him warmly. [2015]

Tbilisi, Georgia

Filo dough.
Eat some, then go.
What's left, just throw.
Dessert for elfin sparrow.
[2015]

Tbilisi, Georgia

In the ream of myth, the Caucasus were a place of punishment. Deities who rebelled or found themselves on the wrong side of the reigning pantheon were chained to the mountains. Could this chasm in Tbilisi be the site where Prometheus was bound by Zeus for stealing fire from the Oympians and giving it to humankind? [2015]

Tbilisi, Georgia

Independence came to Georgia with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, but vestiges of dictatorial rule did not end until 2003 with the Rose Revolution. As a result, roses play a particularly symbolic role in Georgian society. On sale at Tiblisi's flower market, these roses were grown in Colombia! [2015]

Tbilisi, Georgia

That's a candy, not a sausage! It's called churchkhela in Georgia. Thread walnuts onto a cord, dip it in grape mash thickened with flour, dry for several days, and sell on the street. It's the power bar of the Caucasus and is often regarded as the national sweet of Georgia. [2015]