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Tulukhchi (Water Carriers) on the Mtkvari River, Tbilisi, 1890

Two water carriers with donkeys transporting leather water bags on the bank of the Mtkvari River in Old Tbilisi.

Tulukhchi, traditional water carriers of Tbilisi, transporting water from the Mtkvari River using donkeys and leather containers.

This photograph depicts tulukhchi, traditional water carriers of Old Tbilisi, standing with their donkeys loaded with leather water containers known as tulukh. Before the introduction of modern water supply systems, tulukhchi transported water from the Mtkvari River to homes, markets, and bathhouses throughout the city. The profession was a characteristic feature of everyday life in nineteenth-century Tbilisi.

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Elevated view of dense urban neighborhood with multi-story buildings, tree-lined streets, and mountains in background.თბილისის (ტფილისის) პანორამული ხედი მაღლა წერტილიდან, წინა პლანზე მჭიდროდ განლაგებული შენობები კრამიტის სახურავებით და ქალაქის გაფართოება მთებამდე, 1858Black and white photograph showing a medieval church with conical dome on a rocky cliff overlooking a river, with surrounding residential buildings and cityscape in the background.Black and white photograph showing multi-story wooden houses with balconies built on a hillside overlooking a gorge with vegetation.View of wooden mills built along the Mtkvari River with bridges and urban buildings in the background.Panoramic view of Tiflis with the Mtkvari River in the foreground and hillside buildings rising above the city.Panoramic view of Tiflis showing densely built houses, churches, and hills surrounding the historic city.View of Old Tiflis with wooden balcony houses built along the cliffs beneath Narikala fortress.Historic view of the Meidan Mosque and surrounding riverside buildings along the Mtkvari River in Old Tbilisi.Stone arch bridge known as Mikhail’s Bridge crossing the Mtkvari River in Tbilisi with horse-drawn carts nearby.Two water carriers with donkeys transporting leather water bags on the bank of the Mtkvari River in Old Tbilisi.View of the Vera district of Tbilisi with a cross monument, winding road, bridge, and surrounding hills.Panoramic view of the Rike district along the Mtkvari River with dense historic houses in Tbilisi.Panoramic view of Tbilisi across the Mtkvari River with dense historic buildings and surrounding hills.
Date
1890
Photographer
Alexander Engel
Source
Georgian Museum of Photography
Attribution
Alexander Engel Collection
Rights
Museum collection - Licensing available
Alexander EngelGeorgiaOld TbilisiCity Panoramas, Districts & River ViewsSocial Types, Trades & ProfessionsSocial Types – Kintos & Urban Characters