The Gurian House

In the marvellous Ethnographic Museum in Tbilisi, there is a perfectly preserved original three-roomed Gurian house from 150 years ago. It belonged to the equivalent of a middle-class family. It’s made entirely of wood and is raised about one metre off the ground on large stones, both for ventilation and to stop the damp from rising. Each room in the house is positioned around a central fireplace and has its own door to the yard: the living room, young people’s room and old people’s room. The house is luminous and airy, with a balcony for sitting outdoors in hot weather. All cooking was done in an external kitchen.