The Orbeliani Palace () or the Atoneli Residence () is the

official residence An official residence is the residence of a head of state, head of government, governor, religious leader, leaders of international organizations, or other senior figure. It may be the same place where they conduct their work-related functions. ...

of the President of Georgia. It is located on Atoneli street in Central

Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million p ...

History

Origins and usage throughout the times

The original building, which no longer survives, dates back to the 18th century and was a gift of King

Teimuraz II of Kakheti Teimuraz II ( ka, თეიმურაზ II) (1680/1700–1762) of the Bagrationi dynasty, was a king of Kakheti, eastern Georgia, from 1732 to 1744, then of Kartli from 1744 until his death. Teimuraz was also a lyric poet. Life He was a son ...

to his son-in-law Dimitry, brother of

Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani Prince Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani ( ka, სულხან-საბა ორბელიანი ) (November 4, 1658 – January 26, 1725) was a Georgian writer and diplomat. Orbeliani is noted in part due to his important role as an emissary of ...

. That earlier building was destroyed and the current one was built in its place at the end of the 19th century. The last inhabitant of the palace was

Grigol Orbeliani Prince Grigol Orbeliani or Jambakur-Orbeliani ( ka, გრიგოლ ორბელიანი; ჯამბაკურ-ორბელიანი) (2 October 1804 – 21 March 1883) was a Georgian Romanticist poet and general in Imper ...

. At one point, the building served as the U.S. Embassy in Georgia. In 2013, about 25 million Georgian lari was spent on the renovation of the palace. Logo of the Presidential Administration of Georgia Ka

Presidential residence

Georgian politician and former French diplomat

Salome Zourabichvili Salome Zourabichvili ( ka, სალომე ზურაბიშვილი, ; born 18 March 1952) is a Franco-Georgian political figure and former diplomat who currently serves as the fifth President of Georgia, in office since December 2018 ...

announced during her 2018 presidential campaign that she would not work from the

Avlabari Presidential Palace The Ceremonial Palace of Georgia ( ka, სახელმწიფო ცერემონიების სასახლე), formerly known as the Presidential Administration of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს პრეზ� ...

if elected. That palace, which was opened in July 2009, was built during the Presidency of

Mikheil Saakashvili Mikheil Saakashvili ( ka, მიხეილ სააკაშვილი ; uk, Міхеіл Саакашвілі ; born 21 December 1967) is a Georgian and Ukrainian politician and jurist.

, with whom Zourabichvili had a fallout. Zourabichvili stated that she preferred Orbeliani Palace because it was more understated and that members of the

House of Orbeliani The House of Orbeliani ( ka, ორბელიანი) was a Georgian noble family (tavadi), which branched off the House of Baratashvili in the 17th century and later produced several lines variously called Orbeliani, Orbelishvili (ორბ ...

and

Baratashvili Baratashvili ( ka, ბარათაშვილი) is a Georgian noble family, appearing at the end of the 15th century as a continuation of the Kachibadze (ქაჩიბაძე), which were possibly related to the Liparitids-Orbeli. The ...

, who once resided there, were her historical ancestors. After her election, she met with the outgoing President

Giorgi Margvelashvili Giorgi Margvelashvili ( ka, გიორგი მარგველაშვილი; born 4 September 1969) is a Georgian academic and politician who was the fourth President of Georgia, in office from 17 November 2013 to 16 December 2018. ...

in the Avlabari Palace before moving into the Orbeliani Palace on 18 December 2018.

Interior

* Amra Hall * Galaktion Hall * Golden Fleece Hall * Prometheus Hall * Rustaveli Hall * Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani Presidential Cabinet

Gallery

File:Orbeliani Palace Christmas Facade.jpg, Orbeliani Palace decorated for Christmas File:Salome Zourabichvili Meeting with Facilitator Ambassadors.jpg, Georgian President meeting with foreign ambassadors inside Orbeliani Palace File:Secretary Pompeo Meets with President Salome Zourabichvili (50618365826).jpg, Georgian President meeting with

U.S. Secretary of State The United States secretary of state is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State. The office holder is one of the highest ranking members of the president's Ca ...

Mike Pompeo Michael Richard Pompeo (; born December 30, 1963) is an American politician, diplomat, and businessman who served under President Donald Trump as director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) from 2017 to 2018 and as the 70th United State ...

File:Salome Zourabichvili Addressing Deaf Association.jpg, President Salome Zourabichvili addressing the Deaf Association

References

External links

*{{Commons category-inline, Orbeliani Palace Presidents of Georgia Presidential residences Buildings and structures in Tbilisi Government buildings in Georgia (country)