[Temporaly closed] Former Archaeology Museum

Situated on a mountainside in Tbilisi, the former archaeological museum was built in 1988 and designed by Shota Kavlashvili. The location was not chosen by chance: nearby is the ancient Trela burial ground, one of the significant monuments in the history of Tbilisi (2nd-1st millennium BC). The museum building looks amazing: it consists of three cylindrical shapes, originally intended for reservoirs. Now these structures have been adapted for use for museum purposes. The main building remains inaccessible to the public, but one of the tanks can be visited through a pipe. The interior of the museum looks mysterious: the ceiling resembles a flying saucer, and in the center of the room there is another brick building. It is unclear whether this is an old structure or a renovation, but the design creates an air of mystery. On a nearby hill stands a bronze statue of St. Nino, accompanied by a bell composition created by Zurab Tsereteli, a famous sculptor and artist of Georgia. It is interesting that previously there was another monument at this place, “Happiness to Nations,” 45 meters high, installed in 1981. However, in the early 1990s it collapsed, destroying some buildings. In the 1990s, the museum was temporarily converted into a repository of exhibits, containing about 10,000 objects, mostly bronze. The building is currently under reconstruction, although no work has been carried out here for the last few years.