Fortress of Gonio: Georgia’s Roman Heritage

The Fortress of Gonio, located in Adjara, Georgia, is an ancient Roman fortification dating back to the 1st century AD. A strategic point along the Black Sea coast, over the centuries, it was expanded and fortified by the Byzantines and Ottomans. Today, the well-preserved remains of Gonio Fortress stand as an important cultural and archaeological […]

Yerevan Museums: The Best in History and Art

The following is a brief introduction to some of the best Yerevan museums for history and art. As SRAS has recently launched study programming in Armenia, MuseumStudiesAbroad.org is also now opening a new region that we hope to fill with museum reviews and artist biographies! History Museum of Armenia The History Museum of Armenia holds […]

Tbilisi’s Museums: History, Art, and Science in the Georgian Capital

Welcome to Tbilisi, a city of amazing history, breathtaking creativity, and constant innovation. Showcasing this are an astonishing number of great museums. This guide will take you through some of the city’s best institutions – from well-known staples like the National Museum of History to off-the-beaten-path gems like the Pirosmani House Museum, to often overlooked […]

The Dadiani Palaces Historical and Architectural Museum

The Dadiani Palaces Historical and Architectural Museum is the preserved former home and museum of the House of Dadiani. The Dadianis once ruled the Georgian region of Mingrelia and their noble family traces its history back one thousand years. The Dadiani Palace is the de-facto center of Zugdidi, a relatively small city that is still […]

A Visit to the Martiros Saryan House-Museum in Yerevan

The Martiros Saryan House-Museum is located in the three-story former home of Martiros Saryan. Located just a 10-minute walk from Yerevan’s central Freedom Square, on a leafy street now named for the artist, the building is open to the public and used to display his art and celebrate his life. During my study abroad program […]

SRAS Visit to Erebuni Museum Complex and Archeological Ruins

The fortress of Erebuni, once the great capital of the mighty Uratu Kingdom, is located on the outskirts of Yerevan. The ruins of the citadel are flanked on one side by quiet mountains – their rocky slopes reaching up toward the hot summer sun. On the other side is Yerevan and the Ararat plain. The noise of […]

The Armenian National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet

In the heart of Armenia’s capital city Yerevan, stands the Armenian National Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet and the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall, simply known as “The Opera” by locals. Built in the early twentieth century, this cultural hub showcases a blend of traditional Armenian architecture and contemporary design representative of its diverse repertoire. […]

Soviet Mosaics in Georgia: Controversy, History, and Fascination

I can’t put my finger on what sparked my interest in Soviet-era mosaics, but at this point, I’m obsessed. As someone who grew up in the US, it’s a rather foreign thing to see the sides of entire buildings decked out in brightly colored scenes made of tiles. It also contradicts what many people believe […]

The Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia (The National Museum of Georgia)

The Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia is a great first stop in Georgia for an essential overview of the country’s place not only as a small country that has long lived at the crossroads of great empires but also as a modern nation with a layered millennia-old history unto itself. The museum shows the highlights […]

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