Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theater (Paliaashvili Theater)

Why is it significant?

Stand in awe before the breathtaking Moorish Revival facade of the Georgian National Opera and Ballet Theater of Tbilisi, named after national composer Zakaria Paliashvili.

Key Facts

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Stand in awe before the breathtaking Moorish Revival facade of the Georgian National Opera and Ballet Theater of Tbilisi, named after national composer Zakaria Paliashvili. Erected between 1880 and 1896 by imperial architect Victor Schröter following the tragic destruction of the earlier opera house by fire, this exotic palace is an architectural marvel. With its striped red-and-ochre brickwork, horseshoe Islamic arches, crenellated parapets, and octagonal towers, the building appears as if transported directly from the Alhambra of Granada to the heart of the Caucasus.

Notice the intricate Islamic geometric plasterwork and delicate stained-glass fanlights that ornament every portal and arched window. Inside, the six-tiered auditorium is adorned with shimmering gold leaf, deep turquoise velvet seating, and a colossal chandelier weighing three and a half tons, manufactured by Austrian glassmakers. The historic painted stage curtain was created by celebrated contemporary Georgian artist Sergo Kobuladze, depicting an epic romantic panorama of the Caucasus.

In the late nineteenth century, Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky visited Tiflis five times, conducting his own operas in this theater and declaring the city his favorite musical refuge. Legendary bass Feodor Chaliapin launched his professional operatic career on this very stage in 1892, later declaring in his memoirs that he was born twice: physically in Kazan, and artistically in Tiflis. The theater also nurtured the early training of George Balanchine, the father of modern American ballet.

In the evening, artistic lighting illuminates the Moorish arches, transforming the building into a shimmering palace from the Arabian Nights. The melodious strains of opera rehearsals drift through open balcony doors, mingling with the bustling rhythm of Rustaveli Avenue. This iconic theater represents the pinnacle of nineteenth-century European cosmopolitanism harmonized with Eastern decorative splendor. The opera house remains an undisputed temple of musical culture where world-class performances continue to captivate audiences from around the globe.

Continue north along the avenue toward the First Classical Gymnasium and the monument of Shota Rustaveli.