Atashgah of Tbilisi, Fire temple in Old Tbilisi, Georgia.
The Atashgah is a brick building with a curved perspex roof, standing 100 meters east of the Holy Mother Church of Bethlehem. The modest shrine sits on slopes northeast of the Mother Georgia statue with plain walls and simple interior details.
The building was constructed during the Sassanid Empire between 224 and 651 CE, when the region was under Persian rule. The structure ranks among Tbilisi's oldest religious buildings and survived multiple religious transitions across centuries.
The building reveals Tbilisi's layered religious past through its use as a fire temple, church, and later mosque. Visitors experience these overlapping faiths within the same walls, where different communities once gathered to pray.
The temple sits on sloping ground in the eastern part of the old city and is accessible on foot. Visitors should wear sturdy shoes since the paths around the site are steep and uneven.
The shrine long remained overlooked by tourists and stays a quiet spot off the main paths even today. Recent restoration work has brought the building back into view without disturbing its secluded character.
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