Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia 🇬🇪

When you visit downtown Tbilisi, the Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia offers you a captivating journey through the country's rich history. Located on Rustaveli Avenue in an impressive building designed by architect Nikolay Severov using medieval Georgian decorative elements, this institution serves as one of Georgia's premier history museums. You will explore a permanent exhibition that chronologically traces the evolution of material culture in Georgia from the Bronze Age all the way to the early 20th century.

Inside, you can admire hundreds of thousands of Caucasian and Georgian archaeological and ethnographical artifacts. Highlight exhibits include the famous Homo Ergaster fossils discovered at Dmanisi, as well as the 5th-century BC Akhalgori hoard, which features exquisite jewelry blending local and Achaemenid artistic influences. As you walk through the galleries, you will encounter a massive collection of roughly 80,000 coins primarily minted in Georgia, medieval icons, stunning goldsmith pieces, and a lapidary showcasing one of the world's richest collections of ancient Urartian inscriptions.

You can also view the 4th to 5th-century Shukhuti bath mosaic. Steeped in resilience, the museum survived evacuations, political turmoil, and fires, making it an unmissable destination to truly understand Georgia's deep heritage.

What to see at Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia

• Ancient Homo Ergaster fossils discovered at the Dmanisi site
• The 5th-century BC Akhalgori hoard displaying unique jewelry
• Around 80,000 coins, chiefly of Georgian minting
• Rich lapidary collection featuring ancient Urartian inscriptions
• Medieval icons, goldsmith work, and the Shukhuti bath mosaic

Visiting tips

Be sure to admire the main building on Rustaveli Avenue, which incorporates distinct elements of medieval Georgian décor into its design.

How long: 2-3 hours · Best time: Morning

How to get there & what’s nearby

Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia is easy to reach on Tbilisi’s public transport, and pairs naturally with Rustaveli Theatre and Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our Tbilisi travel guide.