Dadiani Palaces Museum

The Dadiani Palaces Museum is a historic museum complex located in Zugdidi, in the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region of western Georgia. Housed in a group of former princely residences that served as the seat of the Georgian House of Dadiani, the institution is widely regarded as one of the most eminent princely residences in the Caucasus. The complex centers on the Queen's Palace, so named because it belonged to the Queen Regent of Mingrelia, and functions today as a national museum preserving the region's cultural and architectural heritage.

The origins of the museum date to 1840, when the first exhibition opened at the palace, displaying archaeological excavations from the ancient city of Nakalakevi. This exhibition was prepared by Megrelian prince David Dadiani, who actively collected artifacts from the site, some through his own excavations and others purchased from local settlers. The most significant archaeological work he sponsored was at Nokalakevi, known in antiquity as Archeopolis. In early 1848, David Dadiani formally presented his archaeological and numismatic collection from Nokalakevi to guests at the palace. The transformation into a public museum was completed on May 1, 1921, through the initiative of Georgian ethnographer and geologist Akaki Chanturia. The main structure in its present form is credited to English architect Edwin Race, who was active in Georgia throughout the 19th century.

The Dadiani Palaces History and Architecture Museum preserves natural and cultural heritage spanning multiple centuries and categories. Its holdings include materials from the Tagiloni treasure, the holy vesture of the Mother of God, and the icon of Queen Bordokhan, mother of Queen Tamar of Georgia. The collection also encompasses manuscripts from the 13th to 14th centuries, miniatures, and memorial relics of the Dadiani dynasty. A distinctive component of the collection comprises objects connected to Napoleon Bonaparte, brought to the palace by Prince Charles Louise Napoleon Achille Murat, grandson of Napoleon's sister Caroline Bonaparte, who married Salome Dadiani, daughter of David Dadiani. The archaeological collection originated with David Dadiani's systematic gathering of materials from Nokalakevi.

Among the museum's signature objects are the Tagiloni treasure materials and the icon of Queen Bordokhan, mother of the famed Queen Tamar of Georgia. The holy vesture of the Mother of God represents an important religious artifact within the collection. The Napoleonic objects, acquired through the marriage alliance with the Murat family, provide a unique connection to French imperial history within a Georgian princely context. The 13th to 14th century manuscripts and miniatures constitute significant examples of medieval Georgian artistic production.

The museum complex consists of three palaces, with the main structure known as the Queen's Palace. The building is primarily neo-Gothic in style, though it incorporates elements of Georgian, Russian, Islamic, and Tudor architecture. The original construction dates to the 17th century, with major renovation and reshaping in the 19th century under architect Edwin Race. The complex also encompasses the Blachernae Virgin Church and the Zugdidi Botanical Garden, integrating religious, botanical, and residential functions within a single princely estate.

The Dadiani Palaces Museum is located in Zugdidi, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region, in western Georgia. It operates as a national museum of Georgia with an official website at http://www.georgianmuseums.ge/. The institution continues to serve as a public museum preserving and displaying the historical, archaeological, and architectural heritage of the Dadiani princely house and the broader region.