Mtatsminda, Mountain summit in Tbilisi, Georgia

Mtatsminda is a mountain of the Trialeti range on the right bank of the Kura (Mtkvari) in central Tbilisi, reaching 719.8 m above sea level. Its upper part forms a broad plateau, built of Upper Eocene sandstones and clays, and the slopes are covered with planted forest. The summit holds a culture and recreation park, a 277.4 m television tower, and the Mtatsminda Pantheon on the eastern slope.

The mountain's religious history begins with the monk David, who according to tradition settled on the eastern slope in the 6th century. A Church of the Iberian Mother of God stood there by the 9th century; the brothers Nikoloz and Davit Gabashvili built the St David monastery on its site in 1542, and the present church dates from 1871. A small Transfiguration church was added in 1809, and the road to the churches was cut in 1817.

The name Mtatsminda means "Holy Mountain" in Georgian, and the mountain was named after Mount Athos, the monastic centre of Orthodox Christianity. Around the Church of Saint David (Mama-Daviti) stands the Mtatsminda Pantheon, officially opened in 1929, where Georgian writers, actors, scientists and national heroes are buried. The church feast of Mamadavitoba is celebrated here every year in memory of the hermit David, who according to tradition settled on the slope in the 6th century.

You can reach the summit by taking the funicular railway from the city center or by using buses that go directly up the mountain. The weather at the top can be windy and cool, so bringing a jacket is wise even on warm days in the city below.

The television tower on the summit is 277.4 m tall, built in 1972 to replace a 1955 mast. It is not called Andza. The upper funicular station's restaurant has a wall fresco, "Dedication to Pirosmani", by Nikolai Ignatov.