The State Museum of Georgian Folk Songs and Musical Instruments invites you on a melodious journey tracing back over 3500 years. As the oldest known Georgian musical instrument — a flute discovered in Mtskheta in 1930 — attests, Georgia’s musical roots run deep. Although this historic relic now resides at the Simon Janashia National Museum, you can admire replicas of this ancient flute, along with a host of other traditional instruments, at this unique institution located in the heart of Old Tbilisi.
Perched near the Narikala Fortress on Samghebro Street, the museum unfolds its narrative across three distinct exhibition spaces, each resonating with a different aspect of Georgia's musical history.
The first exhibition area immerses visitors in the rich array of Georgian folk instruments, showcasing treasures like the soinari, panduri, chonguri, changi, chuniri, and chianuri. These instruments offer an aural glimpse into a tradition dating back to the 8th century BC.
The second exhibition space transports you to the multicultural Tbilisi of the 17th and 18th centuries, presenting Eastern musical instruments that were once integral to the city's vibrant sonic landscape.
Venture into the third exhibition space, and you'll encounter a collection of European musical instruments that spans centuries. Among the pieces are an 18th-century English piano, a pump organ, a bicentennial grand piano, a calliope, and a 17th-century French music box.
As an additional treat, you can experience "Tsintskaro," a captivating Georgian folk song, through an antique gramophone. This melody is a familiar sound to fans of Werner Herzog's movie "Nosferatu the Vampyre" and also featured in Kate Bush's 1985 song "Hello Earth."
With its extensive collection of over 4100 items — including Georgian and South Caucasian people's authentic musical instruments, European mechanical and classical instruments, manuscript notes of Georgian folk music, audio-video records, and gramophone records from the early 20th century — the museum is a mesmerizing fusion of sound and history.
Spanning 350 square meters (approximately 3767 square feet) in total, with 200 square meters (approximately 2153 square feet) dedicated to exhibition space, the State Museum of Georgian Folk Songs and Musical Instruments, established in 1984, stands as a testament to Georgia's rich musical heritage, ready to exceed your expectations and create unforgettable memories.
