Museums in Tbilisi attract many tourists from different countries. There are so many museums that you need to stock up enough time to have a look at everything. But if you came just a couple of days and you don’t have much time to explore the country, and you want to see as much as possible, then we offer you a list of the most interesting and popular museums in the capital of Georgia. Let's start our virtual tour.
Top - 9 museums in Tbilisi
For the convenience of choosing institutions, we compiled a rating list, having previously studied a large number of reviews on the Internet. But if your favorite museum in Tbilisi did not enter it, then there is nothing to worry about. Do not forget that people's tastes can be completely different.
Ninth place
In ninth place on this list is the State Museum of Georgian Literature, which bears the name of the great national poet Giorgi Leonidze. It is located in the very center of the city, so it is easy to get to it, almost all buses go there. Entrance to the museum is free, but if you want to take the help of a guide, its cost depends on the number of people, as there are discounts for a group of more than twenty people. Here you can find rare texts, manuscripts and other exhibits of the X-XX century.
Eighth place
The Georgian State Museum of Theater, Music, Cinema and Choreography is in eighth place. It contains about 200,000 exhibits that tell about the development of Georgian art. Among them are audio and video recordings, posters, costumes, manuscripts, photographs, as well as awards of outstanding Georgian actors. The museum's collection is constantly updated. It is located on Kargareteli street, 6. The five-day work schedule: from Monday to Friday, from 10 to 17.
Seventh place
The Museum of Money of the National Bank of Georgia was opened in 2001. There are 3 halls in it. In the first, visitors will be able to see the history of the development of money circulation, starting from the 6th century BC. e. and ending with our days. In the second hall you will see old coins collected from around the world, there is also a copy of the coins of David IV Agmashenebeli. And in the last your attention will be presented modern funds, which are divided into groups dedicated to different continents.
The museum is located on Leonidze street, 3/5. It works 5 days a week, except Saturday and Sunday, from 9.00 to 18.00. Ticket price is 5 GEL (or 115 rubles), discounts are provided for children.
In sixth place
The Pirosmani Museum in Tbilisi ranks sixth. It is dedicated to the life of the famous Georgian artist Niko Pirosmani (Pirosmanishvili). The museum was opened in 1984 by decision of the first secretary of the city party committee.
About this artist is not known as much as we would like. At an early age, he lost his parents and moved to Georgia, where he learned the art of drawing. Interesting fact: the exact place of his burial was not found.
The museum is located in a small basement, where the last years of Pirosmani's life have passed, and includes only a couple of hundred exhibits. His address: Pirosmani street, 29. Opening hours: Monday to Friday 11.00 to 19.00. Entrance costs 3 GEL.
Fifth place
The Art Museum of Tbilisi has more than 150,000 copies of rare works of art. The most unique exhibits were the cross of Queen Tamara, the icon of the Holy Savior, and the golden bowl of Bagrat III. You can also see a lot of paintings by Russian artists, such as Ilya Repin, Ivan Aivazovsky, Valentin Serov, Vasily Surikov and other European artists.
There are not only paintings, but also figurines, dishes, carpets and shawls. The museum is located on Gudiashvili street, 1. Entrance is free, but note: the day off on Monday, and the museum is open from 10.00 to 17.00.
Fourth place
The most interesting for children from the museums of Georgia (Tbilisi) will be the Puppet Museum, which was opened in 1937. Unfortunately, in the 90s he was robbed and closed for 15 years. Restored and replenished, it opened only in 2008.
Now the museum has about 3,000 dolls from around the world and materials. Here are absolutely stunning exhibits: clockwork, ivory, musical and many others. The delight of children has no limits when they come here. It remains to clarify the address: Shavteli street, 12.
Third place
It is occupied by the Ethnographic Museum of Tbilisi. It is located in the open air. The purpose of the museum is to show the individual architecture of each region of the country. It collected 8,000 copies from fourteen regions, making it reminiscent of a village created from various buildings. In addition to geographical differences, the exhibits also differ in history. The age of the oldest of them dates back to the V century of our era. Here you can also see various auxiliary buildings: forges, cellars (maranis), barns and stables. And in ordinary rooms - interesting household items of that time.
The work schedule is from 10:00 to 20:00, and the last ticket sale is carried out half an hour before closing. A ticket costs 1.5 GEL, and for schoolchildren and students even less - 0.5 GEL. We recommend that you take the help of a guide to study this museum, otherwise you simply won’t be able to understand some things.
It is located at: road to Turtle Lake, 1. The museum can be reached by taxi or from the Bagebi stop by bus.
Second place
The Museum of Soviet Occupation Tbilisi is part of the country's network of museums. He received a share of fame due to good advertising during the development of anti-Soviet sentiments in Georgia. Despite the policy of this museum, it is very interesting and informative. The complex was founded on May 26, 2006, but was almost immediately closed for repairs. And only after 5 years it was again open to visitors. The museum reflects the history of the Soviet period of Georgia. It features modern décor and darkened walls, as well as musical accompaniment.
When you enter the room, you will see the part of the car where the rebels of 1924 were shot. Exposure should be inspected clockwise. There are a large number of documents and various historical photographs. There are exhibits of the 20s and 30s of the last century. And in the central part you will see the commissioner's table, at which you can even sit.
Information that may be useful: The Museum of Soviet Occupation Tbilisi is part of the National Museum complex, so the opening hours, location and ticket prices are the same.
National Museum of Tbilisi
He takes the first place. It is a whole network of museums, which also includes 13 institutions throughout Georgia. Its second name is the Georgian National Museum. During its existence, the complex survived many trials: in 1921 it was transported to Europe and only returned in 1945, the museum was also damaged in 1991 during the change of power and during a strong fire in 1992.
This museum is interesting in that it is completely connected with the culture of the Caucasus. It is completely located on the first floor, where there is a collection of antiquities of Georgia, namely coins, weapons, ceramics and jewelry, whose age dates back to the 2nd century BC. And also there is a fascinating collection of stones engraved with Urartian inscriptions.
Information that may be useful: the work schedule for all museums in the complex is the same - from 10:00 to 18:00. The working week consists of six days, but the day off on Monday. The ticket price for an adult in the complex ranges from 3 to 5 GEL, and discounts are provided for visitors under 18 years of age. The museum is located on 3 Shota Rustaveli Avenue, not far from the Freedom Square metro station.
Tourists reviews
Museums in Tbilisi are worthy of popularity among all tourists in the world. Pleasantly pleased that their prices are very reasonable, opening hours are available to everyone. If necessary, museum staff will conduct an interesting and informative tour, during which you can learn a lot of new and interesting information not only about the institution visited, but also about Georgia itself.
A large number of visitors enthusiastically respond to the Ethnographic Museum. Why is he so attractive to them? It is in the open and there are real old houses. When you realize that perhaps your distant ancestors lived in such places, you literally freeze from the solemnity of the moment. Kids love to consider agricultural buildings: chicken coops, barns, sheds and much more. Time flies by and you haven’t even had time to examine and study half of it. Therefore, many of those who come here for the first time will definitely come back again.
Instead of a conclusion
Museums in Tbilisi are interesting, worthy institutions that must be visited by every person who is interested in the history of this country, as well as those who love everything new and unknown. But remember that Monday is a day off in many museums in Tbilisi.