STREET SHOPPING: A GUIDE TO TBILISI'S BAZAARS


One of Georgia’s most charming and attractive qualities is its east-meets-west character. The tradition of the bazaar comes from the east, and in Tbilisi’s streets, it mingles with European and Soviet traditions to create a unique phenomenon. You can learn a lot about Georgian life and culture by visiting the bazaars – and also find some great deals!

A reality of all the bazaars is this: if you are a foreigner (even if you speak passable Georgian), you will be charged more. The best strategy is to choose a price you are willing to pay, and negotiate down to that, not worrying whether or not you paid $0.25 more than the locals pay. If you are insistent on getting the lowest prices or have a passion for bargaining, try asking around to different sellers to gauge prices or, better yet, ask a local shopper what a normal price is for a kilo of carrots or sulguni cheese.

Produce in Georgia is very seasonal. What you find in the bazaar is what is in season, so don’t be surprised that there are no peaches in September or Asparagus in July. Thankfully, potatoes are available year round.

The word ‘bazroba’ also refers to bazaars in Georgia and is used practically interchangeably with ‘bazaar.’ 


DEZERTER'S BAZAAR

A massive, twisting maze located near the city center at Dinamo Arena, Dezertirebis Bazaar gets its name from its historical start as the place were army deserters gathered to sell their weapons in the 1920s. You can find everything here – produce driven in from villages that morning, fresh and frozen meat (I wouldn’t recommend buying meat here unless you have a strong eye, and nose, for quality), household appliances, dishes, decorations, towels and sheets, clothing (custom made jeans!), coffee beans ground to order, children’s toys – all guarded by shriveled octogenarians who look like sweet grandmothers but have a negotiating fist like a hammer. It is not pretty or particularly photogenic, but it’s easily accessible by public transport, has almost everything you need, and the prices can’t be beat by any formal stores.

There are many stands set up outside around the area, but the ‘real’ bazaar is inside. Prices can often be significantly cheaper inside, especially on produce, but you can get lost easily in the chaos.

Dezertirebis, Dezerter, Deserters’, or ‘Vagzali’ (train station) are all names for this bazaar.


DIDUBE

Didube is a massive marshrutka and bus station, also called “Okriba,” and metro station. The transportation hub is interspersed with stalls, crowded in on every piece of open land, where sellers offer produce, prepared foods, clothing, and toys. There is one section of corrugated metal stalls, covered with a metal roof – watch out – there are only entrances and exits at each end of the row, so you can quickly get lost and stuck inside! The best part about Didube is seeing all the marshrutkas labeled with far off destinations, and hearing the drivers yelling out the names of cities – maybe you will get inspired to take a trip!


NAVTLUGHI

Navtlughi bazaar is located between Isani and Samgori metro stations. Sellers there offer mainly fresh produce, churchkhela (a snack made of sweet, dried grape juice and nuts), tklapi (fruit leather), and dried fruits. You can also find fresh caught fish, kvass, and many other random items from small car parts to tobacco to cheap jewelry. Prices are very affordable here, and, as always, negotiation is expected.


LILO    

The sheer scale of Lilo is overwhelming. In recent years, the Tbilisi government has tried to clean up what was once a sprawling, chaotic field with everything from sheep to furniture. In fact, you can still see the occasional sheep at Lilo, but it is much more navigable today than it used to be. Given the name “Lilo Mall,” a formal parking area, and, most transformative, a organizational system inside complete with signs and maps.

Lilo is located at the very eastern edge of the city, on the road to Kakheti. It is a semi-open structure, with a mix of formally built shops and casual stalls, with tarps covering the inside walkways that protect from the sun – but not the rain, so beware of the mud pit Lilo can quickly become.

Lilo has food for sale, but comparatively less than Dezertirebis or Navtlughi. Its specialty is clothes, shoes, and large items – furniture, light fixtures, carpets. The cheapest prices in Tbilisi are found at Lilo – rugs straight from Turkish factories and trinkets from Chinese cargo trucks with none of the markup that sellers further into the country will add. I once saw a pretty factory-made carpet for sale in Sighnaghi for 50 GEL, that I ended up buying for 20 GEL at Lilo!

By Samantha Guthrie