VANI ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

A large, white, vaguely neoclassical building located on Vani's eastern hillside, the archaeological museum and the site of the ancient city are extremely interesting and well worth a visit. The museum, formerly known as Otar Lortkipanidzé, the principal archaeologist of the Vani discoveries, was founded in 1985. It displays objects found during the various archaeological excavations carried out on the Vani site since 1947, revealing the existence of a city in the first millennium BC.

Most of the objects are originals, a few are copies. Most of the gold objects, notably the Colchis treasure, have been transferred to the Janachia National Museum in Tbilisi. But Vani still has a treasure room with a few gold works, as well as a fine collection of gold coins that visitors will appreciate. While the museum may seem old-fashioned at first glance, it is more explanatory than usual, and everything is even translated into English, which is very useful for us Westerners. Observing the different types of objects found during the excavations - handicrafts, statuary, ceramics, tools, weapons - as well as the explanations of the city's reconstruction, gives an idea of what this ancient Colchian city might have been like. The collection is truly rich, and the meticulousness with which tiny objects have been sculpted and adorned is often impressive. A must-see for young and old alike.