SVANETI MUSEUM

THE SVANETI MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND

ETHNOGRAPHY IS ONE OF THE CANDIDATES
FOR THE EUROPEAN MUSEUM OF THE YEAR
AWARD (EMYA) 2016!

SVANETI MUSEUM

saqarTvelos erovnuli muzeumis svaneTis

muzeumi evropis muzeumebis forumis mier
konkursis - ,,evropis wlis muzeumi 2016 kandidatad dasaxelda!

Svaneti Museum
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A PUBLICATION OF TBILISI MARRIOTT HOTEL & COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT TBILISI

A PUBLICATION OF TBILISI MARRIOTT HOTEL & COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT TBILISI

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SVANETI MUSEUM

SVANETI MUSEUM

If

we take a look at Georgias history, we will see

that because of its geographic location, this
country has acted as the natural crossroad
of different civilizations and that at the same time, it
has managed to preserve its cultural independence.
It is difficult to find a context anywhere else in the
world where nature and cultural heritage have been
preserved so well and have merged so organically, as
in Svaneti.
Svaneti has been a strategic gateway to the country
throughout the long and stormy history of Georgia. It
is associated with treasury keeping but Svaneti is
not only the loyal guard of Georgian treasures, it is an
organic part of a united Georgian culture, and despite
its geographic location it has played an active role in
global processes.

Pin, Second half of the

2nd millennium BC
Kala, Bronze,
Length 10.5 cm

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A PUBLICATION OF TBILISI MARRIOTT HOTEL & COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT TBILISI

A PUBLICATION OF TBILISI MARRIOTT HOTEL & COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT TBILISI

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SVANETI MUSEUM

SVANETI MUSEUM

The Forty Martyrs of Sebaste. 12th century. Wood, canvas, gesso, gold sheet, tempera. 68 x 52.5 cm
Enthroned Saviour. Artist: Thevdore Gvazavaisdze. 11th century. Wood, silver. 35 x 26 cm

In the 4th century, the Christianization of Georgia and the creation

of the Georgian alphabet have paved the way for an independent
Georgian culture, and the development of Georgian art during the
middle ages is closely connected to Christianity. The churches
and unique works of Christian art that one can find in Svaneti are
a valuable part of world heritage, and the majority of movable
artifacts of the sort are preserved at the Svaneti Museum, which
is part of the Georgian National Museum. The Svaneti Museum
is almost a hundred years old, and has started a new life since
2013, when a new building complying with contemporary
international standards and a new exhibition were inaugurated,
with new lighting and overall equipment. The Svaneti Museum is

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visible from almost all spots in Mestia (the exact address is 7,

A. Ioseliani Street). The architect of this contemporary building
is Giga Kiknadze the structure blends in the landscape and
the historical surroundings naturally. A chronological voyage
back into history starts in the archaeological hall. The rich
archaeological material brought to light in Svaneti reflects the
uninterrupted history of this important centre of mountainous
Colchis from the 3rd-2nd millennia BC the Early Bronze Age
to the Middle Ages. The artifacts discovered in Svaneti confirm
the diversity and chronological continuity that attest to the
region being an integral part of a single system of
Georgian culture.

A PUBLICATION OF TBILISI MARRIOTT HOTEL & COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT TBILISI

The chronology of the Numismatics Halls collection starts in

the 5th century BC, with the Colchian Silver coin, and finishes
in the 20th century with foreign coins. The presence of local and
foreign coins demonstrate the historical importance of Svaneti
as a strategic region, one that was actively involved in universal
money circulation.
The Christian Art collection reveals that during the middle ages,
Georgian culture evolved in close relationship with the leading
spiritual centers of Byzantium and Eastern Christianity, and
was characterized by its originality. As for the last gallery, it is
dedicated to a rich ethnographic exhibition.

The renewed museum allows us to better display the

originality and inventive character of Georgian culture.
If we take a look at Georgian culture, we will see that its
development mainly happened concurrently with the historical,
cultural, and artistic changes that were at hand around the
world. The diachronic section of the museum presents the
importance of Georgian artifacts in the context of world
cultural heritage.
You will be able to relax and admire views of Mestia and its
towers from the museums public hall, media library, and caf,
as well as to connect with any other part of the world with Wi-Fi.

A PUBLICATION OF TBILISI MARRIOTT HOTEL & COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT TBILISI

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SVANETI MUSEUM

The Adishi Four Gospels (897) constitute the earliest surviving manuscript, decorated in an artistic style characteristic of the
9th-10th centuries. The title page has an equal-armed cross (quadrifolium). The miniatures are presented all together before
the written text. Illuminations depict the Evangelists and the manuscript begins with Canon Tables and ciboria. It was written in
Shatberdi, commissioned by the Abbot of the Sophron Monastery and was bound by the Deacon Michael. The text represents a
different and separate edition of the Gospels which includes an additional document relating the 14th century history of Svaneti.

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A PUBLICATION OF TBILISI MARRIOTT HOTEL & COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT TBILISI