The Tbilisi History Museum is a quick peak into the city’s 19th century past that helps solidify its importance as a commercial hub at the cultural crossroads of the Persian, Ottoman, and Russian empires. Housed in a historic building with other worthwhile museums and telling its story through models, life-size dioramas, historic photographs, and other […]
Two visitors had two very different experiences at the same museum – visiting just days apart. The Museum of the History of Georgian Medicine examines Georgia’s long history through the context of medicinal practices. Along the way, we learn quite a lot of Georgia’s identity and even genetic makeup. This particular museum is a reminder […]
Gori, located a ninety-minute drive from Tbilisi, may not catch a visitor’s eye at first. However, the town is forever cemented in history as the birthplace of one of the most well-known leaders in world history: Joseph Stalin. Born Ioseb Jughashvili, Stalin spent the first sixteen years of his life in Gori. While Gori hosts […]
As an avid reader and introvert, who often prefers a cozy bookstore to bars, I set out to explore three recommended ex-pat bookstores in Tbilisi. Places like Prospero’s, Auditoria, and On the Same Page all cater to Anglophone and/or Russophone readers. I found that these three stores varied widely in terms of ambience and selections, […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
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 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 […]
