Ushguli Ethnographic Museum

The Ushguli Ethnographic Museum is a privately owned collection housed within a 16th-century residential tower. Tucked inside what was once a family home, the museum features an array of everyday artifacts from the Middle Ages, carefully curated from a private collection. Open nearly around the clock — so long as the homeowners are present — this humble museum offers visitors a rare glimpse into the domestic life of Svaneti’s distant past.

Set within a two-story stone structure from the 13th century, the building itself is a historical treasure, known locally as a machubi-darbazi. Remarkably, both levels of the dwelling have been preserved in their original state, offering an authentic window into the traditional Svan lifestyle. Though modest in size — essentially a single room of displays — the museum holds a quiet charm for those interested in ethnography and history. Entry costs 10 GEL per person, and while the visit may take no more than five minutes, it does provide an evocative sense of life inside a medieval Svan tower-home.

On the first floor, once used during the harsh winters, humans and livestock lived side by side, divided only by an intricately carved wooden partition. At night, cows were kept in the lower corridor, while the family — along with sheep and goats — slept in the upper chamber, their quarters illuminated solely by the flickering light of an open, unventilated hearth. This arrangement, harsh by today’s standards, speaks volumes about the resilience and resourcefulness of the mountain communities.

The museum houses a fascinating assortment of household items and tools, ranging from agricultural and combat implements to ritual objects and religious artifacts. Visitors will find timeworn wooden furniture, iron and clay domestic ware, and relics of daily life that once served generations of Svans. Particularly noteworthy is the carved wooden chair of the makhvshi, or head of the community, and an ornate wall cabinet that once stored essential family possessions.

The second floor showcases even more layers of Svan tradition: two antique wooden beds, an arched stall designed for goats and sheep, and a compact kitchen known as the bodzhari, complete with its historical utensils and tools. Among the more unique items are a 17th-century Svan cradle and a spinning and knitting apparatus, preserved along with its accessories — a silent testament to the domestic skills passed down through the generations.

While it may not boast grand halls or expansive exhibits, the Ushguli Ethnographic Museum offers something arguably more valuable — a direct and intimate connection with the past, woven through the texture of stone walls, hand-hewn beams, and timeworn relics that once defined life in the highlands of Georgia.