Samtavisi Cathedral

built 1030 domed cathedral with simplified cross-in- square plan using two freestanding piers; formative for medieval Georgian church planning

Uplistsikhe

rock-cut settlement on the Mtkvari River with origins in the early 1st millennium BC; largely abandoned after 13th–14th-century Mongol invasions

Apollo Cinema

built 1909–1914 Art Nouveau cinema

Shio-Mgvime Monastery

monastic complex with 6th-century St. John the Baptist church and rock-cut monastic cells; founded by St. Shio, one of the Thirteen Assyrian Fathers

Satyr Mascaron

stucco relief with goat-bearded profile on the street facade of the 1900 residential building by Aleksander Szymkiewicz

Octopus Cafe

built 1975 mosaic-covered café-sculpture on Batumi Boulevard; by architect Giorgi Chakhava; mosaics by Zurab Kapanadze; reopened 2019

Gold Lion Figurine

gold lion figurine from the second half of the 3rd millennium BC; discovered in a tomb near Tsnori in the Alazani Valley, southeast Georgia

Kelitsadi Lake

high-altitude volcanic lake on the Keli plateau at 3,081 m

Gudarekhi Monastery Bell Tower

1278 two-story monastery bell tower in a near-checkerboard pattern of sandstone and wine-red tuff; oldest dated bell tower in Georgia

National Archives of Georgia

Georgian archives complex designed 1952–1970 by Valeria Hajibeyli

Trialeti Gold Goblet

18th–17th-century BC gold goblet; Trialeti–Vanadzor culture

Ninotsminda Cathedral

late 6th-century domed church with a tetraconch plan; collapsed in the 1824 earthquake; survives as ruins of the apse and part of the west wall

Apocalypse Cycle Fresco

early 13th-century Timotesubani fresco fragment; animals return swallowed human remains at the general resurrection

Chokha and Papakha

traditional Georgian male attire; woolen coat with chest cartridge tubes and sheepskin hat; rooted in highland dress, later adopted nationwide

Deda Ena

children’s primer by Iakob Gogebashvili; first published 1876; still in use today

Tsalenjikha Cathedral

12th–14th-century cross-in-square church; painted in late 14th century by Byzantine master Manuel Eugenikos

Grape Press

traditional stone or wooden winepress for foot treading; known in Georgian as satsnakheli

Rabati Castle

founded in the 12th–13th centuries as the seat of the Jakeli princely house of Samtskhe; under Ottoman rule from the late 16th century

Tobavarchkhili Lake

remote high-altitude glacial lake in the Egrisi Mountains

Chiboni

bagpipe with goat-skin bag, chanter and drone; played mainly in western Georgia

Gelati Monastery

founded in 1106; royal monastery with academy and scriptorium; 12th-century Theotokos church with mosaics and murals; UNESCO-listed since 1994

Russia–Georgia Friendship Monument

Khevi

GPS: 42.49228320457851, 44.453150319552975

built 1983 on the Georgian Military Highway; circular lookout with interior mosaics narrating Georgian and Russian history

Grape Vine

over 525 indigenous grape varieties in Georgia; archaeological evidence dates local winemaking to about 8000 years ago

Zhinvali Monument to the 300 Aragvians

built 1980s concrete memorial on the Georgian Military Highway; commemorates the 300 Aragvians fallen at the 1795 Battle of Krtsanisi

Ateni Sioni Church

7th-century domed tetraconch of the Jvari type; rich stone carving and 11th-century frescoes

Bolnisi Sioni Capital Stone Relief

late 5th-century capital on the south pre-apse pilaster; lions and a bear chasing chamois

Kalantarov House Entrance Hall

entrance hall with Moorish Revival decoration; house built 1908 by Ghazar Sarkisyan for merchant Kalantarov

Vanis Kvabebi

8th-century rock-cut monastery; largely abandoned after 1551–1576 Persian–Ottoman raids

Marionette by Rezo Gabriadze

hand-crafted marionette by Georgian director and artist Rezo Gabriadze; for the Gabriadze Theatre, founded in 1981

Street Dogs

free-roaming, community-fed dogs on the streets of Georgian cities; recognisable by ear tags after vaccination