By Tamuna Kimadze
For the past four years, I have been researching the rehabilitation of the Gelati Monastery complex and have visited the site numerous times. During my visits, a single-story building near the complex caught my attention. The building appeared well-maintained, with large windows and painted walls, yet it has been locked and unused for years. When I inquired about it, I was told that it is the Gelati Visitor Center, which has yet to open.
Built in 2020 with a budget of approximately 1.2 million GEL from World Bank funding, the center has not yet hosted a single tourist. This article briefly explains why the building has been closed for four years and whether it will ever open.
Why Does Gelati Need a Visitor Center?
Visitor centers are typically established near cultural or historical attractions. They provide tourists with maps, informational brochures, and a place to ask questions, offering a better understanding of the location. Additionally, they allow visitors to rest and use restroom facilities. Gelati, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists annually, clearly deserves such a space.
In fact, UNESCO’s advisory mission, which visited Gelati in the winter of 2022 to assess its rehabilitation, also recommended opening the visitor center. Their report highlighted that Gelati, a significant spiritual and tourist site, attracts around 200,000 tourists annually, a number likely to increase. They emphasized the need to improve visitor services to manage the flow of tourists and ensure the safety and preservation of the site. According to the 2022 joint advisory mission’s report by the World Heritage Center’s ICOMOS/ICCROM:
“Managing visitor flows is an essential aspect of overall site management. In this regard, the opening of an information center is crucial, requiring an operational use plan (the center has remained inactive since its construction).”
Tour guide Ekaterine Tabagari, who frequently brings visitors to Gelati, underscored the necessity of a visitor center, particularly for tourists without guides. She noted the urgent need for restroom facilities, as the current lack of facilities is “nightmarish” in all areas except protected sites.
Who Built the Visitor Center, and How?
In June 2020, the Ministry of Infrastructure assured the public of improved tourist infrastructure near the Gelati Monastery. The promise was only partially fulfilled—the building is there, but it is non-functional.
The 286-square-meter building is about 50 meters from Gelati Monastery. Its exterior matches the monastery’s stone walls, and the roof is covered in natural greenery. According to the project plan, the center was to house a souvenir shop, exhibition space, guide room, ticket counter, cafe, administrative office, and restroom. However, all rooms remain locked and unused. Even the restroom has not been opened.
The Municipal Development Fund (MDF) oversaw the construction. In 2014, they contracted “Construction Company #1” to build and finish the center for 1.5 million GEL, including paving the courtyard, constructing 10 wooden stalls, setting up a parking area, installing a water supply system, and providing water to both the center and 15 local households. The contract also included installing a wastewater treatment system for the center.
While the project was officially completed, the water supply is inadequate, the building remains non-functional, and the 10 market stalls are nowhere to be seen.
As the Municipal Development Fund commissioned the project, we asked them why the center has yet to open, why the project was incomplete, and what their plans are for the now-idle building. According to MDF, the original project plan was altered midway. During the work, they discovered that the retaining wall in the stall area was unstable and needed repairs. They reinforced the wall and, instead of installing stalls, created a parking area.
They stated, “During the work, we found that the wall near the tourist infrastructure was deteriorating…A second phase of work was undertaken, which included building a new retaining wall and parking area. Given these new circumstances, installing the stalls was deemed unfeasible.”
It remains unclear why they did not foresee the wall issue earlier or why replacing the stalls with a parking lot was deemed a reasonable decision. The initial project intended to have both stalls and parking, and the plan was to restrict vehicle access directly in front of the visitor center. MDF offered only a superficial response, stating that they were satisfied with the contractor’s work and saw no need for penalties. The ongoing maintenance, operation, and functionality of the building are not within MDF’s responsibilities:
“The project contractors met all contractual obligations, so no penalties were necessary. As for future plans, the Municipal Development Fund of Georgia has completed the project, and there are no current plans for rehabilitation work on the visitor center near the Gelati Monastery.”
Since the center falls under the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation, we also inquired about the center’s operation there. We are still awaiting their response.
The Promised Market Stalls That Never Materialized
In March 2024, while investigating issues with Gelati’s temporary roofing, I also spoke with local vendors about the unbuilt stalls. Five vendors were present, selling various jewelry and religious items on makeshift tables in the open air.
The vendors explained that, at the project’s outset, they received compensation, each receiving 4,000 GEL for one year, during which they temporarily ceased operations. The agreement was that they would later return to new stalls. However, the stalls were never built, and after a year, the locals resumed selling as before. They now have to carry their goods each morning and evening since they lack secure display areas.
The Unresolved Water Supply Network
The plan was to supply water from the “Sokhasteri” spring, two kilometers away, through polyethylene pipes to a reservoir, from which it would be distributed to both the visitor center and 15 households in Gelati village. We do not know how much funding was allocated specifically for this work, as the procurement details are not publicly available. Local vendors informed us that water has reached neither the center nor the residents.
Residents explained that they still use an outdated Soviet-era water source, which is unreliable and not potable. The Municipal Development Fund explained that the local community protested, leading to a change in the water supply source. Now, water is pumped from “Davit’s Spring,” but it remains unclear if it reaches the village.
We attempted to reach “Construction Company #1,” but the company ceased operations over two years ago, and its representative could not provide additional contacts.
Ultimately, over a million GEL was spent ineffectively, and the visitor center remains unused, failing to benefit anyone. The National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation has been unable to make this small building functional, leaving the larger Gelati Monastery complex in similarly poor condition.
