Geguti Palace

Just eight kilometers south of central Kutaisi lies an ancient and little-known gem: the ruins of Geguti Palace — the largest royal palace ever built in Georgia. Nestled near the banks of the Rioni River, the sprawling remains of this once-grand complex cover an area of over 2,000 square meters.

The Geguti Palace is one of the most important monuments of early Georgian secular architecture. Its significance lies in the rarity of such non-religious structures, as most surviving medieval Georgian landmarks are churches or monasteries. While medieval chronicles often describe the architectural splendor of Georgia’s secular buildings, few such sites remain intact today. What we know of their scale and craftsmanship comes largely from modest remnants such as these.

Despite extensive archaeological efforts, the precise date of the palace’s foundation remains elusive. What is known, however, is that its various sections were built in different periods, reflecting the evolving needs and styles of the times:

• The earliest structure is a simple one-room building with a fireplace, believed to date back to the 8th or 9th century.

• The main royal residence was constructed later, during the reign of King George III (1156–1184).

• The majority of the complex was erected around the 12th century, a period in which the palace is first mentioned in the Kartlis Tskhovreba, the medieval Georgian chronicles.

• In the 13th and 14th centuries, a church and several annexes were added on the western side.

By the early 19th century, this once-magnificent structure had fallen into ruin, reduced almost entirely to rubble.

Despite its current state, Geguti Palace held great significance in Georgian history. It was frequently cited in royal annals as a beloved retreat of the monarchy. During Queen Tamar’s reign, it became the backdrop for a dramatic episode: in 1191, the rebellious nobleman Prince Yuri Bogolyubsky attempted a coup and was crowned here by dissenting factions.

Archaeological excavations conducted in 1937 allowed historians to recreate the palace’s original layout and clear sections of its structure. More extensive digs took place between 1953 and 1956, during which researchers uncovered key layers of the palace’s history and began to understand its full grandeur before decay set in.

The palace was built on a square foundation approximately three meters high. At its center stood the main building — a spacious hall crowned with an enormous dome that once soared nearly 20 meters high and spanned 14 meters in diameter. This dome rested on squinches (architectural supports shaped like sections of a cone) and featured a circular skylight at its apex to illuminate the hall below.

Surrounding this central space were residential quarters, utility rooms, and bathhouses. The entire complex was supported by massive stone columns and encircled by high defensive walls punctuated with watchtowers.

The materials used in the construction included brick, limestone, and river pebbles. Limestone served both structural and decorative purposes, adorning walls inside and out. The walls were as thick as 70 centimeters, while the dome reached a thickness of 50 centimeters. The roof was covered with glazed ceramic tiles. Inside, the palace featured painted walls, frescoes, and decorative drapery — evidence of the royal refinement it once displayed.

In 2016, a glass installation was placed directly opposite the ruins. Etched with the silhouette of the original palace, it offers visitors a powerful visualization of what the structure might have looked like in its prime.

Today, the most prominent surviving elements include the skeletal remains of the palace church, sections of the central hall’s walls and vault, and fragments of the main entrance gate and staircase. Excavations also uncovered an ancient wine cellar, complete with broken shards of qvevri — traditional Georgian clay vessels used for fermenting wine.

Since 2018, Geguti Palace has been undergoing an ambitious reconstruction project. Efforts are focused on restoring its original architectural forms, reinforcing load-bearing structures, rebuilding ceilings, and installing a new roof. This work aims not only to preserve the remnants of this majestic site but also to give future generations a tangible sense of Georgia’s royal past — a time when palaces like Geguti stood as proud symbols of power, culture, and craftsmanship.