A Georgian exhibit was inaugurated at the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani (FBQ) Museum on the occasion of the visit of Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili to Qatar on June 20.
The prime minister and HE Sheikh Faisal jointly inaugurated the exhibit in the presence of Georgia's Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Levan Davitashvili, Foreign Affairs Minister Ilia Darchiashvili, and representatives of the Georgian delegation.Georgia’s ambassador to Qatar Nikoloz Revazishvili, embassy representatives, and FBQ Museum officials were present on the occasion.HE Sheikh Faisal took the Georgian delegation on a tour of the museum's various sections, including the Qatari, Arab, and Islamic sections, as well as the Car Museum, and the Cultural Village of Qatar.The Georgian section has been created thanks to the donation from Georgian embassy, and has been enriched with integral items from FBQ Museum’s unique collection.
Among artefacts, visitors can find ancient rugs that originated from Georgia, including single design scarf (Mandili), rug and stained glasses paintings with Georgian traditional ornaments inspired by the Georgian cotton and silk textiles dating back to the early 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.Among the most distinguished exhibits is the King’s Clothes specially created for the Georgian exhibit at FBQ Museum.The costume is a replica of a royal 18th century dress of King Erekle II.The dress is selected from the catalogue of Georgian Art Palace – Textile from Georgia.A silk coat and hat complete the head-to-toe ensemble of sharvali trousers, a shirt, red leather shoes, vest, and an embroidered belt.As the outfit reenacts the depicted dress worn by Erekle II, the fine materials, personalised gemstone and feather brooch embody the noblemen’s prestige.Erekle II was a Georgian monarch of the Bagrationi dynasty (1744-1798).Also known as Patara Kakhi in Georgia, Erekle II unified the two eastern Georgian kingdoms of Kartli and Kakheti after three centuries of division.To this day, bright colours dye silk textiles through the cold batik painting technique in patterns inspired by Georgia’s nature and folkloric traditions.The Georgian exhibit also features the ancient Georgian sword made from steel, bronze and wood, repeating the details and the shape of the sword of Erekle II.In a press statement, ambassador Revazishvili said: “The geographical proximity of the regions naturally contributes to the development and deepening of many aspects of the relationship between Georgia and Qatar.”“Historically close ties between Georgia and the Arab world, cultural kinship, and friendship between peoples – are favourable preconditions for further deepening the mutually beneficial relations between our countries and people,” he said. “Opening a Georgian Exhibit at the renowned FBQ museum provides an opportunity to promote Georgia’s rich history and culture in Qatar.”