Stained glass windows in Tbilisi, Georgia

A feature of the architecture in Tbilisi, Georgia is the art of stained glassed windows inchurches, synagogues, hotels and houses.

The Z.Paliashvili Opera and Ballet Theatre on the main street, Rustaveli Avenue, is currently undergoing renovation to bring back the glory of its arches, pillars, and stained glass windows, especially those in the street entrance. The synagogue in Tbilisi has intricately designed stained-glass windows and the side windows of Saint Peter and Paul catholic church located in Ivane Javakhishvili Street are stained glass.

The Sioni Cafe and Bakery are part of the Tbilisi Seminary and Spiritual Academy affiliated with the Sioni Cathedral. The Sioni Cafe is situated above the bakery in a small park on Leselidze Street. The cafe has stained glass windows. In the Old City, the Hotel Ambassor, by the river, features stain glassed windows in their bathrooms.

Stained glass is a unique and remarkable art form that it thought to date back to 500AD. However, much of the stained glass is in the Art Nouveau style established in Europe in the 19th century. In Georgia, Art Nouveau buildings were constructed mainly in the capital, Tbilisi, but also in port towns (as the glass was shipped into Georgia via the Black Sea). The Georgian Art Museum has a collection of old photographs that show apartments, houses, cinemas, tobacco shops, the maternity hospital, banks and colleges decorated with fine stained glass windows. The glass images range from geometric shapes, flowers, women, and monsters (most of which are dragons).

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