Tbilisi, literally "City of Warm Springs," has a tumultuous 20th century history: Ottoman rule, the struggle against the Bolsheviks, Soviet Republic - since 1991, the capital of independent Georgia. This coveted and contested city, with its varied history, is famous for its sulfur baths and bath attendants, for gray-white steppe dust and vibrant joy of life, for its winding alleys and countless terraces, for wine and good food. It has continually ignited the literary imagination and curiosity of writers and travelers. Visitors from around the world have been captivated by it, from Clara Zetkin to Annemarie Schwarzenbach, from John Dos Passos to Sergio Pitol and Adolf Endler. Adventurers, travel enthusiasts, reporters, politicians - all have succumbed to the city and its oriental beauty.