Top Mestia Art & Culture

The Museum's collections include important archeological and ethnographic materials, a rich collection of Georgian manuscripts, and Georgian Orthodox icons painted in the unique Svan style. It also houses ancient objects dating back to early empires and cultures that made their mark on Georgian history. Archeological discoveries made in Svaneti date back to the 3rd century BCE, and provide evidence of active cultural and social life, as well as connection to Kolkheti-the ancient land of the Golden Fleece encountered by the Argonauts. The archaeological collection contains many examples of ceramics, jewelry, cult or religious objects, armaments, trading instruments, and numismatic collections. The Svaneti numismatic collection is distinguished by its breadth. The majority of the coins represent the church-treasury. The chronology of the numismatic collection reserved in Svaneti begins with 5th century "Kolkhuri Tetri" and finishes with 20th century Soviet coins.