Georgian Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili on Thursday said the historical archaeological complex of Gadachrili Gora in south-eastern Georgia's Kvemo Kartli region would welcome visitors with new infrastructure after works on the site are completed by late 2024.

Davitashvili said the site would be an “important open-air museum” to attract travellers, after inspecting the works on site located near Imiri village, 35km south of capital Tbilisi.

Dating back to the VI-V millennia BCE, the site has revealed ancient winemaking artefacts in digs since 2014, when the international project “Research and Popularisation of Georgian Grape and Wine Culture” was initiated by the Georgian National Museum, the Georgian Wine Association and the National Wine Agency of Georgia.

Findings at the site indicated that ancient people from this area were some of the first to use wild grapes and vines for health, religious and spiritual reasons, before the vine culture later spread around the globe.

This is a place where one of the oldest centres of agriculture has been discovered, including the beginning of viticulture and winemaking. It is not only interesting for Georgian visitors and tourists, but also for scientists and tourists. Therefore, it has special value”, Davitashvili said.

The Ministry of Economy said the infrastructure project involved setting up road and engineering infrastructure, while a museum and “additional tourist attractions” are also being developed for the site.

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