Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre, Opera house in Rustaveli Avenue, Tbilisi, Georgia
The Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre is a performance venue with Moorish Revival architecture located on Rustaveli Avenue. The building features an ornate facade with exotic design elements, while the interior follows European opera house conventions and contains multiple rehearsal spaces and concert halls.
The building opened in 1851 as the first opera house in the South Caucasus region, burned down in 1874, and was rebuilt by architect Victor Schröter until 1896. Its reopening restored an important cultural site and shaped the artistic landscape of the region for generations.
The theatre carries the name of composer Zacharia Paliashvili, whose works are performed here regularly. The venue shapes the cultural life of the city and draws both locals and visitors seeking opera and ballet performances.
Visitors should know the venue has multiple entrances and the best sightlines are from the main floor and balcony seating areas. It helps to arrive early to explore the building and its surroundings on Rustaveli Avenue before the performance begins.
The venue presented the world premiere of the first Georgian opera, Abesalom da Eteri, in 1919, a milestone in the country's musical history. This debut made the theatre a turning point in the region's artistic identity and recognition.
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