What is Georgian national dress called: chokha, papakha, nabadi?
Men's and women's costume and what is in the chest pockets.
Short answer
The men's national costume is the chokha, a long coat with cartridge pockets across the chest, worn over an arkhalukhi undershirt with a papakha hat; in bad weather a felt cloak called a nabadi goes on top. Women wear a long belted kartuli dress with a white veil called a lechaki. Today the chokha is worn at weddings and celebrations.
Why
- The cartridge pockets on the chest once held gun charges and are now decorative.
- The nabadi is felted from wool and keeps out rain and wind.
- The chokha has come back as festive wear and is tailored to order in workshops.
Details
You can see national costumes at dance ensemble performances and at the National Museum. Tbilisi has studios that rent out a chokha for photos.
Tip
See chokhas and national dresses at ensemble concerts and the Ethnographic Museum.
Common misconception
Nobody wears the chokha in Georgia any more.
What actually happens
The chokha is worn at weddings, holidays and ceremonies, and Tbilisi has tailors who make them.
People also ask
- What is a chokha?
Sources
Information checked on October 3, 2026.
Georgian national costumeRelated questions
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Mariamoba, the Dormition of the Virgin, falls on 28 August and is a public holiday.
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Which hand do Georgians wear their wedding ring on?
Most Georgians wear their wedding ring on the ring finger of the right hand, following Orthodox tradition.
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Where can you see Georgian dance and hear polyphonic singing in Tbilisi?
Georgian dance is best seen at concerts by national ensembles such as the Sukhishvili ballet, and at restaurants with evening folk shows.
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Is 8 March celebrated in Georgia?
Yes, 8 March, International Women's Day, is an official public holiday in Georgia, when women receive flowers and gifts.