Editing Tbilisi (section)

===Foreign domination===
Tbilisi's favorable trade location, however, did not necessarily bode well for its survival. Located strategically in the heart of the [[Caucasus]] between Europe and Asia, Tbilisi became an object of rivalry among the region's various powers such as the [[Roman Empire]], [[Parthian Empire|Parthia]], [[Sasanian Empire|Sassanid Persia]], [[Caliphate|Muslim Arabs]], the [[Byzantine Empire]], and the [[Seljuk Empire|Seljuk Turks]]. The cultural development of the city was somewhat dependent on who ruled the city at various times, although Tbilisi was fairly cosmopolitan.

From 570 to 580, the Persians ruled the city until 627, when [[Third Perso-Turkic War|Tbilisi was sacked]] by the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]]/[[Khazars|Khazar]] armies and later, in 736–738, Arab armies [[Marwan ibn Muhammad's invasion of Georgia|entered]] the town under [[Marwan II]]. After this point, the [[Rashidun Caliphate|Arabs]] established an [[Emirate of Tbilisi|emirate]] centered in Tbilisi. [[Dirham|Arabic dirhams]] were brought to Georgia following the Arab conquest in the seventh century, and a mint was founded in Tbilisi that produced coins with inscriptions in both [[Arabic]] and Georgian.{{sfn|Mikaberidze|2015|p=242}} In 764, Tbilisi – still under Arab control – was once again sacked by the Khazars. In 853, the armies of Arab leader [[Bugha al-Kabir|Bugha Al-Turki]] invaded Tbilisi in order to enforce its return to [[Abbasid Caliphate|Abbasid]] allegiance. The Arab domination of Tbilisi continued until about 1050. In 1065, the [[Seljuk dynasty|Seljuk]] Sultan [[Alp Arslan]] campaigned against the [[Kingdom of Georgia]], subjugated Tbilisi, and built a mosque in the city.{{sfn|Minorsky|1953|p=65}}