GeorgiaOfficial tourism
Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia

Where Colchian gold meets the ages

Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia

Why go

The Simon Janashia Museum anchors the Georgian National Museum complex on Rustaveli Avenue, housing treasures that rewrite assumptions about the ancient world. Its basement vaults hold the legendary Colchian gold—exquisite jewelry and ritual objects from the 3rd millennium BCE that gave rise to the myth of the Golden Fleece. Upstairs, Roman-era cameos and early Christian chalices trace Georgia's position between empires. The collection survived Soviet reorganization and a 2004 fire that forced temporary closure, reopening with renewed purpose. This is not dusty antiquity: the goldwork's technical sophistication rivals anything in the Met or the Hermitage, and seeing it in Tbilisi—where it was unearthed—carries a gravity no loan exhibition can replicate.

On the ground See

  • The Colchian gold collection, including the famous pectoral from the Trialeti burial mound and intricate filigree animal figures from Vani
  • The Roman period hall with cameo glass and silver vessels that demonstrate Georgia's integration into Mediterranean trade networks
  • The early Christian treasury on the upper floor, featuring the 6th-7th century processional crosses and enamel icons from the David Gareja monastery region

Practical Know before you go

Open Tuesday-Sunday 10:00-18:00; closed Mondays and public holidays; combined ticket valid for all Georgian National Museum sites including the Museum of Soviet Occupation next door; English and Georgian labeling throughout.

Last reviewed 25 August 2026 · reviewed quarterly