# Chronicle of Georgia, Tbilisi > The Chronicle of Georgia is Zurab Tsereteli’s hilltop memorial above the Tbilisi Sea: 16 pillars, 30–35 m tall, covered in bronze kings, saints and scenes from the life of Christ. It’s free and open 24/7, and an hour on site is plenty. It sits about 9 km north of the Old Town, so allow 2 hours by taxi or about 3 by metro and bus. Web page: https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/chronicle-of-georgia - City: [Tbilisi](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi), Georgia - YesGo score: 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free, no ticket needed - Hours: 24/7, every day - Location: Keeni Hill at the northern tip of the Tbilisi Sea, Nadzaladevi district - Taxi: 20–25 min from the centre; unofficial: about 12–16 GEL one way - Metro + bus: Metro to Ghrmaghele, bus 60 to the Military School stop, then 500 m uphill - Fare: 1 GEL with 90 minutes of transfers; contactless bank card or Metromoney card, no cash - Lighting: The pillars are lit after dark - Time needed: ≈ 1 hour on site - Coordinates: 41.77058, 44.81042 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **16 pillars** — 30–35 m tall — the heart of the memorial (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Madloba) - **Zurab Tsereteli** — the sculptor behind it (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Wikidata Q65043165) - **1985** — construction began; the memorial was never fully finished (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Madloba; Journal of Nomads) - **Kings and saints** — fill the upper part of the pillars — kings, queens and heroes of Georgia (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Georgia.to) - **Life of Christ** — Gospel scenes run along the lower part (source: English and Russian Wikipedia; Madloba; Georgia.to) - **St Nino’s cross** — the grapevine cross stands in front of the pillars (source: English Wikipedia; Journal of Nomads) - **Small church** — behind the pillars, with views over the reservoir (source: English Wikipedia; Journal of Nomads; Travelness) - **Keeni Hill** — at the northern tip of the Tbilisi Sea, Nadzaladevi district (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Bronze and stone** — the materials (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **“Georgia’s Stonehenge”** — its popular nickname (source: Russian Wikipedia; Kathmandu & Beyond) - **საქართველოს მატიანე** — the Georgian name, Sakartvelos Matiane (source: English Wikipedia; Wikidata Q65043165) ## Is the Chronicle of Georgia worth it? **Yes, if** you have more than two days in Tbilisi and like big monuments, late-Soviet design or wide open views. Nothing else in the city looks like it, and it is far quieter than the Old Town. **Skip it** on a one-day visit: the round trip takes half a day, and for views of the Old Town itself [Narikala Fortress](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/narikala-fortress) and [Mtatsminda Park](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/mtatsminda-park) are closer and better. Without a car, or with small children, the transfers and the climb make it hard work. Go early in the morning or at sunset: soft light on the bronze and almost nobody around. Midday in summer is hot, and the hilltop is windy all year. ## How to get to the Chronicle of Georgia 1. Easiest: a Bolt or Yandex Go taxi — 20–25 minutes from the Old Town. Search for “Chronicle of Georgia”. The driver drops you at the foot of the stairs; agree on waiting time or the ride back in advance, as cars are scarce up there. 2. By public transport: from Meidan (Gorgasali) Square walk 10 minutes to Liberty Square (Tavisuplebis Moedani) or Avlabari metro. 3. Take Line 1 (red) towards Akhmeteli Theatre and ride to Ghrmaghele — 15–20 minutes. 4. Exit the station and, on the same side of the road, catch bus 60 to the Military School stop. 5. Walk about 500 m uphill — 10 minutes to the stairs. Allow 45–60 minutes each way in total. 6. Pay with a contactless Visa or Mastercard, or a Metromoney card from any metro ticket office: 1 GEL covers 90 minutes of transfers. Cash isn’t accepted on buses or the metro. > **It’s far out, exposed and windy** The memorial is about 9 km from the Old Town — not walkable. There’s almost no shade, it’s hot in summer and chilly after dark, and there are few shops nearby, so bring water. A long staircase leads up to the pillars: wear decent shoes. ## What is the Chronicle of Georgia? A memorial to Georgian history by sculptor **Zurab Tsereteli**, on Keeni Hill above the northern tip of the Tbilisi Sea. Its core is **16 pillars, 30–35 m tall**, each covered in bronze figures: kings, queens and heroes of Georgia on the upper half, scenes from the life of Christ below. Work started in 1985, in the last years of the Soviet Union, and was never fully completed — though you’d hardly notice: the pillars, stairs, cross and a small church are all in place. The massive stone uprights on a bare hilltop earned it the nickname “Georgia’s Stonehenge”. There’s no museum, ticket desk or information board — just an open-air site you can visit any time. That’s why it helps to know what you’re looking at before you go. ## What to see - **The pillars up close.** Walk all the way round — every side has its own figures, and only up close do you sense the scale. - **The upper tier — Georgian history.** Kings, queens, warriors and saints; Georgia.to names King Mirian III, who made Christianity the state religion, and Queen Tamar among them. - **The lower tier — the Gospels.** Scenes from the life of Christ, easy to recognise if you know the stories. - **St Nino’s grapevine cross** in front of the pillars, the symbol of Georgian Christianity. - **The small church behind the pillars** — walk around it for the best view of the Tbilisi Sea and the northern suburbs. - **The foot of the stairs.** Step back to the bottom for a shot that fits all the pillars in. ## Who built it and why it’s unfinished **Zurab Tsereteli**, the Georgian sculptor best known abroad for the huge Peter the Great statue in Moscow, designed the memorial as a history of his country in bronze. Wikidata dates its founding to 1980; construction itself began in 1985. The story runs from the conversion of King Mirian III to the heroes of the Middle Ages, with the Gospel story beneath. St Nino, who brought Christianity to Georgia, is honoured with the cross in front. When the USSR collapsed, money ran out and the work slowed, so the complex was never formally completed. Everything that matters to a visitor, though, has long been finished and open to all. > **Visiting the church** It’s a working Orthodox church and isn’t always open. Inside, cover shoulders and knees; women usually cover their hair. Around the pillars outside there’s no dress code. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Allowed 2–3 hours including the journey - [ ] Contactless card or Metromoney for the metro and bus - [ ] Agreed a return ride with the driver — or know where the bus stop is - [ ] Water — there are few shops nearby - [ ] A jacket for the evening wind - [ ] Comfortable shoes for the stairs - [ ] Covered shoulders and a scarf if visiting the church ## Chronicle of Georgia vs Narikala vs Mtatsminda | | Chronicle of Georgia | Narikala | Mtatsminda | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Memorial of 16 pillars | Ancient fortress above the Old Town | Hilltop park above the centre | | The view | Tbilisi Sea and the north | Old Town, river, Metekhi | The whole centre from above | | Entry | Free | Fortress free | Park free, rides paid | | Getting there | Taxi, or metro plus bus | On foot or cable car from Rike Park | Funicular or taxi | | From the centre | ≈ 9 km | Close | Close | First time in Tbilisi? Start with Narikala and Mtatsminda. Save the Chronicle for day two or three, when you want something unusual and quiet. ## Tbilisi viewpoints compared Every Tbilisi viewpoint rated by YesGo. - [Bridge of Peace](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/bridge-of-peace) — YesGo score 64/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free - [Rike Park](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/rike-park) — YesGo score 61/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free; cable car 2.5 GEL - [Narikala Fortress](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/narikala-fortress) — YesGo score 60/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Free; cable car 2.5 GEL - [Abanotubani Sulphur Baths](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/abanotubani) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Private room ≈ 50–250 GEL/hour - [Holy Trinity Cathedral (Sameba)](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/sameba-cathedral) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 40 min · Free - [Chronicle of Georgia](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/chronicle-of-georgia) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Mtatsminda Park](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/mtatsminda-park) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Free entry, funicular ≈ 10–12 GEL - [Open Air Museum of Ethnography](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/tbilisi-ethnographic-museum) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ 20 GEL (unofficial) ## Pillars in the morning, Old Town by day The memorial early, then the metro back to Avlabari for Sameba Cathedral, down to Rike Park and across the Bridge of Peace. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers. 1. [Chronicle of Georgia](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/chronicle-of-georgia) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free 2. [Holy Trinity Cathedral (Sameba)](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/sameba-cathedral) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 40 min · Free 3. [Rike Park](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/rike-park) — YesGo score 61/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free; cable car 2.5 GEL 4. [Bridge of Peace](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/bridge-of-peace) — YesGo score 64/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free ## Good to know “The Georgian Chronicles” (Kartlis Tskhovreba), the medieval collection of Georgian annals, shares the name in many translations — a book, not a place. This page is about Tsereteli’s memorial. The Tbilisi Sea next to it isn’t a sea but a reservoir. ## Tips - Taking a taxi? Ask the driver to wait 40–60 minutes — finding a ride back from the hill can take a while. - Sunset beats midday: the bronze glows warm and the site empties out. - Afterwards, head down to the Tbilisi Sea — in summer there’s a beach with cafés. - The best wide shot is from the bottom of the stairs, not right under the pillars. - Ride the same metro line back to Avlabari and add [Sameba Cathedral](https://yesgo.io/georgia/tbilisi/sameba-cathedral) to your day. ## Questions ### How do I get to the Chronicle of Georgia? Taxi is easiest — 20–25 minutes from the centre. By public transport: metro to Ghrmaghele, bus 60 to the Military School stop, then 500 m uphill. ### Is the Chronicle of Georgia free? Yes. There’s no ticket or ticket office; you only pay for transport. ### What are the Chronicle of Georgia opening hours? It’s an open-air site, accessible 24/7 every day. ### Is the Chronicle of Georgia worth visiting? Yes, if you have more than two days in Tbilisi and like big monuments and views. On a short trip, Narikala and Mtatsminda are better value. ### How long do you need at the Chronicle of Georgia? About an hour on site; around 2 hours with a taxi there and back, or about 3 by metro and bus. ### Can you take a bus to the Chronicle of Georgia? Yes: bus 60 from Ghrmaghele metro to the Military School stop. Pay with a contactless card or Metromoney — no cash. ### Who built the Chronicle of Georgia? Sculptor Zurab Tsereteli. Construction began in 1985 and was never fully completed. ### How tall are the pillars? Between 30 and 35 metres. There are 16 of them. ### When is the best time to visit? Early morning or sunset, for soft light and few people. Bring a jacket — it’s windy on the hill. ## How we checked The memorial has no official website: it’s an open-air site, so free entry and 24/7 access come from several independent sources rather than an official page. Pillar count and height, sculptor, start date and unfinished status are checked against Wikipedia plus at least one independent source. Dates differ: Wikidata and Russian Wikipedia give 1980 as the founding year and 1985 as the start of construction; we show 1985. A 2003 completion date isn’t backed by reliable sources, so we leave it out. Named kings on the pillars come only from Georgia.to and are credited to it. Night lighting is mentioned by two sources — also verifying. Taxi fares are unofficial. The ≈ 9 km distance is our own calculation from Wikidata coordinates. The 1 GEL fare and card payment are from Madloba, checked 02.10.2026. ## Sources - English Wikipedia: Chronicle of Georgia - Russian Wikipedia: Летопись Грузии (мемориальный комплекс); Wikidata Q65043165 - Madloba: The Chronicle of Georgia in Tbilisi — how to get there; Tbilisi public transport fares (checked 02.10.2026) - Georgia.to — official tourism portal of Georgia: Chronicle of Georgia - Journal of Nomads: How to get to the Chronicles of Georgia in Tbilisi - Kathmandu & Beyond: Chronicle of Georgia - Travelness: The Chronicle of Georgia — How to Visit --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.