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Visit Guide to Dadiani Palace Museum

The museum complex includes palaces of the Samegrelo (West Georgia) queen Ekaterine Chavchavadze-Dadiani and Prince Niko Dadiani, court church, and the botanic garden. In the 1850s, Prince David Dadiani organized a museum in the palace, where unique numismatic materials from the Archaeopolis (Samegrelo region, present-day village Nokalakevi); Dadiani family collections of medieval European armor and weapons, ethnographic objects, and fine art were displayed.

Getting There

You can use train, public transport, hire a taxi, or private car.

What to Expect

The collections of the Museum consist of over 45,000 items, some of which date back to the original Palace collection expropriated in 1919. They represent thousands of years of history and include several utterly unique pieces, such as Napoleon Bonaparte’s death mask and a garment traditionally believed to have been worn by the Virgin Mary.

History

The first attempt to establish a Dadiani Palace Museum in Zugdidi occurred during the brief period of the Georgian Democratic Republic. In January 1919, the Parliament of the fledgling Republic passed a law making the state the legal owner of expropriated royal family property. In December of the same year, two members of the constitutional convention inspected the Dadiani Palace (the Queen’s Palace)in Zugdidi to identify items of historical value to ship to Tbilisi. Items were cataloged, and selected pieces were shipped to Tbilisi.

Facilities Available

Working hours: Every day, except Monday.