Three Nadzaladevis and our approach to each
Old Nadzaladevi
The historic part of the district consists of low houses built for workers between the 1930s and the 1950s, usually two or three storeys high, around inner courtyards where up to ten families live side by side. Neighbours here are especially close, and news of a death travels round the whole courtyard within an hour. Stairwells are narrow, the stairs are often stone or old concrete, and there are turns where a coffin simply cannot be swung round. In that case the coffin waits downstairs by the front step, and the deceased is brought down from the flat on a flexible stretcher. A farewell in the shared courtyard is perfectly normal here, and neighbours often offer the family benches and tables themselves.
In some older houses the floors rest on wooden beams, while a refrigerated coffin together with the coffin itself weighs more than a hundred and fifty kilograms. In a room like that we place the equipment on a broad board platform that spreads the load, and we choose a spot by the wall where the floor is strongest.
Sanzona and the blocks along the avenue
Along Guramishvili Avenue and the neighbouring streets stand nine- and twelve-storey blocks with standard lifts and spacious courtyards. Bringing someone down from an upper floor here takes four to six of our staff, and a tent is easy to put up in the yard. In the daytime parking on the avenue is hard, so we leave the hearse in the service road between the buildings. Sanzona families often receive guests who come by metro, since there are several stations along the district, and throughout the farewell days the stream of visitors does not stop from morning until late evening. That is why a tent with lighting is especially useful here: it makes it easy to welcome people even after dark.
Temka
The Temka settlement sits on the hills in the north of the city, and here everything depends on the road. How we work in Temka is described separately in the next section, because organisationally it is the most demanding part of Nadzaladevi. On the other hand, the houses of Temka have wide courtyards and a view over the whole city, and many families choose to hold the farewell right here, close to home and among familiar neighbours.
The road up to Temka: what the family should know
Several winding roads lead from the city up to Temka, and not every one suits every block equally well. In winter, with snow and ice, some climbs are risky for a heavy vehicle, while in summer the traffic is denser, especially in the evening when people return from town.
- Choosing the route: when you phone, the operator asks for the block number and which part of the settlement you are in, and the driver picks the gentlest road, even if it takes a few minutes longer.
- Winter days: in icy conditions the hearse stops on a lower, level street, and six of our staff in non-slip boots carry the coffin over the last stretch, with protective matting laid down.
- Timing of the procession: from Temka the way to the cemetery runs through the city, so we plan departure before or after the morning traffic and send the guests' bus up to the settlement in good time.
- Mourners: public transport to Temka is infrequent and at night barely runs at all. For elderly guests we suggest the bus we send from the metro station up to the settlement.
Relatives coming by train: the station is just next door
A few minutes from Nadzaladevi is Tbilisi Central Railway Station, the terminus for trains from western Georgia - from Batumi, Zugdidi and Kutaisi - including overnight trains that pull in early in the morning. Many families with roots in the west of the country meet relatives off the train during the days of farewell. For this we offer a simple service:
- Meeting on the platform: the driver waits at the carriage holding a sign with the relative's name, helps with the luggage and drives them to the family home or to the hall.
- Early trains: the night train often arrives before seven in the morning, when the family is still resting after the night vigil. We work at that hour too, so nobody needs to be woken.
- The journey back: after the funeral and the wake, we see relatives off to their evening train, keeping an eye on the time on their ticket.
In such cases the family often picks the date of the funeral around the train timetable, and embalming or a refrigerated coffin makes it possible to wait an extra day. If several relatives are travelling on different trains, the driver meets each arrival separately, while the coordinator puts the whole schedule into one message for the family.
Farewell venue: Didube or Gldani
We do not have a hall of our own in Nadzaladevi, but the district lies between two of our halls, in Didube and in Gldani, each ten to fifteen minutes away. The choice comes down to how many guests you expect and where the burial will be.
| Hall | Capacity and price | Best for a Nadzaladevi family when |
|---|---|---|
| Didube, large | seats two hundred, 650 GEL per day | many mourners are expected; the wake can be held in the same building; the shortest route to Mukhatgverdi |
| Didube, small | 300 GEL per day, for the family circle | the flat in old Nadzaladevi is cramped and only a few guests will come |
| Gldani | a hundred and twenty seats, 450 GEL per day | closer for families from Temka and upper Sanzona; parking in the yard |
Should the family prefer to say goodbye at home - and in old Nadzaladevi and the houses of Temka this is still the most common choice - we set up the refrigerated coffin within half an hour and bring a tent and benches for the courtyard.
Burial: cemeteries and routes
From Nadzaladevi to Mukhatgverdi takes twenty to thirty-five minutes via Didube and Dighomi, a little longer from Temka. It is one of the most convenient routes in the city, with none of the traffic in the centre. Vashlijvari is twenty-five to thirty-five minutes away via Saburtalo. Long-established Nadzaladevi families often have ancestral graves in the old city cemeteries, where burial is allowed only in an existing grave for which the family holds the grave card. The coordinator checks for a free plot, or for permission to open a family grave, on the day you call.
Funeral day hour by hour: a typical plan from Nadzaladevi
What reassures a family most is knowing in advance what will happen and when. Below is a typical day in which the farewell takes place in a courtyard in old Nadzaladevi, the burial at Mukhatgverdi and the memorial meal in the Didube hall. The coordinator works out the exact timetable with the family the evening before.
- Nine in the morning: the last farewell in the courtyard with family and neighbours. The crew and the bus are already in place.
- Ten o'clock: the coffin is placed in the hearse and the procession goes to the church, where the funeral service lasts up to forty minutes.
- Eleven o'clock: departure for the cemetery via Didube and Dighomi, after the morning rush, with up to half an hour on the road.
- Noon: burial at Mukhatgverdi; the grave was prepared the day before, and the awning and chairs are in place.
- Half past one: the bus brings guests back to the Didube hall, where the wake begins; in the evening we see relatives off at the station.
Prices in Nadzaladevi
| Service | Price | In Nadzaladevi |
|---|---|---|
| Hearse on the day of the farewell | from 250 GEL | the climb to Temka and extra staff do not raise the price |
| Refrigerated coffin | 80 GEL per day | a sectional model for the tight stairs of the old houses |
| Meeting relatives at the railway station | from 40 GEL | night trains included, with help carrying luggage |
| Bus for Temka | from 180 GEL | from the metro up to the settlement and on to the cemetery |
| Tent in a shared courtyard | from 250 GEL | we agree it with the neighbours together with the family |
| Standard package from first call to burial | from 2,500 GEL | the hall in Didube or Gldani is paid separately |
Frequently asked questions
How long until you reach an address in Nadzaladevi?
Within forty minutes, and in Sanzona and old Nadzaladevi often sooner. For Temka the driver will ring ahead to confirm which road he will take up, especially in winter.
Temka gets icy in winter. Will the hearse make it up?
The driver chooses the gentlest road, and if the climb is unsafe the hearse waits on a lower street while six of our staff carry the coffin the last stretch. The price stays the same and the funeral timetable does not slip.
Our relatives are coming on the night train from Batumi. Can you meet them?
Yes. The driver will meet them on the platform with a name sign, help with their bags and take them home or to the hall, even at six in the morning. After the funeral we will also see them onto the evening train.
Which hall is more convenient for a family from Nadzaladevi?
If many mourners are coming, the large hall in Didube, where the wake is held in the same building. For Temka and upper Sanzona the Gldani hall is closer. Both are ten to fifteen minutes away.
Can we hold the farewell in the shared courtyard of old Nadzaladevi?
Yes, it is a tradition here. We will bring a tent, benches and lighting and help the family agree it with the neighbours. Overnight the deceased returns to the flat, to the refrigerated coffin.
How far is Mukhatgverdi from Nadzaladevi?
Twenty to thirty-five minutes via Didube and Dighomi, avoiding the traffic of the centre. From Temka it takes a little longer, because you first have to come down from the settlement.
How can elderly guests get to Temka?
Public transport up to Temka is sparse, so we send a bus to the metro station, take guests up to the settlement, and afterwards drive them to the cemetery and to the wake.
From an old courtyard to the climb up to Temka, we know every part of Nadzaladevi and treat each one in its own way. Pass us the address and block number by way of +995 568 33 03 18. Inside forty minutes the crew will be at your door, relatives off the train will be met on the platform, and we will choose the hall in Didube or Gldani together with the family.