Farewell halls - what they are for and what they offer
A funeral hall is a specially equipped space for the farewell and the panikhida (memorial service) that takes the place of the family home during the days of mourning. Here the deceased lies on a catafalque stand, the family accepts condolences, the panikhida is held, and it is from here that the procession leaves for the cemetery. Demand for such halls in Tbilisi grows every year, because modern apartment complexes make a farewell lasting several days at home all but impossible.
Our halls are arranged so that the family has nothing to worry about. Each one has:
- a main hall with a stand for the coffin, seating and mourning decor;
- a separate family room where you can rest, with a tea and coffee corner;
- a refrigerated room where the deceased rests overnight or while the hall is closed;
- an administrator who greets visitors, receives flowers and keeps everything in order;
- a sound system for mourning music and for the priest, plus air conditioning and heating;
- parking for guests, security, and cleaning twice a day;
- stands for flowers, wreaths and candles, a frame for the photograph and mourning ribbons.
The hall is open around the clock: friends can come in the evening after work, and the family can go home to rest at night while the deceased lies in the guarded refrigerated room.
Seven halls across Tbilisi: locations and capacity
Three things matter when choosing a hall: how many guests you expect, the cemetery chosen for burial, and where most of the family lives. With those three answers the operator will suggest a hall that is free.
| District | Halls and capacity | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Saburtalo | Two halls: 80 and 150 seats | Parking for 30 cars, close to Vashlijvari and Mukhatgverdi cemeteries |
| Vake | One hall for 100 people | A separate family room with a terrace, a quiet street, a church five minutes' walk away |
| Didube | Two halls: 60 and 200 seats | The largest hall in the city, a refrigerated room for two, a wake hall in the same building |
| Gldani | One hall for 120 people | Convenient for cemeteries in the north of the city, parking for 20 cars |
| Isani-Samgori | One hall for 100 people | A wake hall in the same courtyard, near the cemeteries of eastern Tbilisi |
Every building has its own hearse entrance, which means the coffin is carried in and out unseen by guests, and there is a wheelchair ramp too. The halls are separated from one another, and two families never cross paths.
Booking to burial: six steps
- Booking by phone: the operator asks roughly how many guests you expect, the cemetery and the number of days, checks the schedule and books the hall straight away. No advance payment is needed to confirm.
- Bringing the deceased to the hall: our hearse collects the deceased - whether from a hospital, a morgue or a private house - and drives directly to the hall, where a specialist prepares them for the farewell.
- Arranging the hall: as the family wishes, the stand is draped with cloth, and a photograph, candles, an icon and flowers are set out. The administrator decides with the family where to place the wreaths and what music will be played.
- Receiving mourners: the hall is open all day. The family stays beside the coffin or in the family room, while the administrator greets guests and, if needed, manages the flow of people.
- Panikhida and funeral service: at the agreed time a priest holds the panikhida right in the hall, with singers if you wish. If the funeral service is to be in a church, the administrator coordinates the procession.
- Burial day: the family gathers in the hall that morning for a last farewell; then the crew carries the coffin out to the hearse, guests climb aboard our coach, and the cortege leaves for church and cemetery. The hall is then prepared for the wake or for another family.
Funeral hall prices and packages
One daily charge pays for everything in the building: the administrator, utilities, security, cleaning, parking and the refrigerated room. Only the extras the family chooses itself, such as floral decoration or singers, are paid separately.
| Service | Price | Included |
|---|---|---|
| Small hall, 60 or 80 seats | 300 GEL per day | Hall, family room, refrigerated room, administrator, parking, cleaning |
| Medium hall, 100 or 120 seats | 450 GEL per day | The same package plus a sound system and two administrators at busy times |
| Large hall, 150 or 200 seats | 650 GEL per day | The same package plus a separate guest entrance and extended parking |
| Two-day package | from 1,900 GEL | A medium hall for two days, coffin, hearse to the hall and to the cemetery, sanitary preparation |
| Floral decoration | from 150 GEL | Fresh flowers on the stand and around the coffin, greenery, candles |
| Priest and singers | a donation | Panikhida in the hall, a choir of two to four singers, coordination on our side |
| Family staying overnight in the hall | free of charge | Family room at night, refrigerated room, security |
The cost depends mainly on three things: the size of the hall, since more seats mean more staff; the number of days, as from the second day the daily price drops by a tenth; and the extras the family selects. If the hall is vacated before noon on the burial day, only half a day is charged.
Documents for receiving the deceased in the hall
Receiving the deceased in a hall is governed by sanitary rules, so a few documents are essential. The family only needs to have two of them in hand; the rest our staff member prepares before the deceased is brought to the hall.
- the medical certificate of death, without which a funeral establishment is not permitted to receive the body;
- the ID of the person ordering the service, used to draw up a short contract for the hall;
- a note confirming sanitary preparation or embalming on our internal form, showing that the deceased has been prepared for an open-coffin farewell;
- for a farewell longer than three days, an embalming report, because the refrigerated room is used only at night and during the day the hall is at room temperature;
- the state death certificate, issued by the Public Service Hall - known to most Georgians simply as the House of Justice - along with the cemetery permit; the administrator obtains both for the family on the very first day.
Farewell days in the hall, hour by hour
Opening hours and night-time
Mourners usually come between ten in the morning and nine in the evening, but the family can set its own hours, and the administrator will post them on the schedule by the entrance. At night the deceased is moved to the refrigerated room, and relatives who wish to can stay in the family room, which has a sofa and its own bathroom.
The wake in the same place
In Didube and Isani-Samgori the wake hall (for the memorial meal Georgians call kelekhi) is in the same building, so after the burial mourners return from the cemetery directly to the tables. In the other districts we work with restaurants five to ten minutes' drive away that offer a mourning menu at a fixed price per person.
Photos, video and music
The family can invite its own photographer or ask for ours, if they want to record the ceremony for relatives who could not attend. The sound system can play church chants or music the deceased loved, as the family chooses.
Other faiths
The halls are decorated in the Orthodox tradition, but at the family's request icons and crosses are removed and the space is adapted for a neutral ceremony or the tradition of another faith. We have experience with Catholic, Armenian Apostolic, Muslim and secular ceremonies.
Reasons families book with us
- Around the clock, 24/7: a hall can be booked in the middle of the night and is ready by morning. Transport from the hospital or morgue is handled by our crew, so the family does not need to ring any other services.
- Experience: hundreds of farewells take place in our five districts every year. Our administrators know how to manage the flow of people, when to remind the family to rest, and how to resolve an unexpected situation without guests noticing.
- Transparency: all costs are included in the daily rate. Parking, overnight stays and the refrigerated room are not charged separately, and extras are added only if you choose them.
- Choice of districts: five districts and seven halls mean there is always a free space, and being close to the cemetery shortens the procession's route.
- Everything in one pair of hands: coffin, hearse, sanitary preparation, flowers, priest and wake are all handled by one coordinator. The family talks to one person rather than five different contractors.
Frequently asked questions
For how many days can a funeral hall be booked?
Most often for two or three days. A longer period, for example up to seven days while waiting for relatives from abroad, is possible by arrangement and requires embalming, so that the daytime farewell in the hall is safe.
Can a priest hold the panikhida in the hall?
Yes. In every district we work with priests from the nearest churches and with church choirs. The family may also invite its own spiritual father - the hall is fully equipped for this.
Is a wake possible under the same roof?
In Didube and Isani-Samgori the wake hall is in the same building and seats up to 200 people. In Saburtalo, Vake and Gldani our partner restaurants are five to ten minutes' drive away, and our administrator makes the booking.
What if more guests come than expected?
The halls keep spare chairs and a waiting area by the entrance. If the numbers far exceed capacity, the administrator will offer to move to a larger hall when one is free, with the difference in rate paid on top.
Can the family stay in the hall overnight?
Yes, the family room is available at night as part of the rate. Overnight the deceased is moved to the refrigerated room, and in the morning the administrator places the coffin back on its stand before guests arrive.
How does a funeral hall differ from a church hall?
A church hall is meant only for the funeral service and panikhida for a few hours and is not suited to a farewell lasting several days. A funeral hall replaces the home: refrigerated and family rooms, an administrator and access around the clock, with the funeral service afterwards held in church.
A dignified farewell needs both space and time, and we can offer you both. Phone +995 568 33 03 18 by day or by night: the operator will reserve a free hall at once, our hearse will bring the deceased there, and an administrator will guide the days of mourning so the family can dwell only on the memory of the one they have lost.