Heritage sites receive infrastructure upgrade in USAID programme

A number of cultural heritage and natural sites in two of Georgia's regions have been equipped with means to provide first aid with necessary medication and trained personnel, completing an update of their infrastructure.

In a joint effort by the United States Agency for International Development and the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia, museums, natural reserves and monuments in Shida Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti have become subject of the upgrade.

First aid stations have been set up at seven locations including the Uplistsikhe Museum-Reserve, Borjomi Museum of Local History and the Rabati Castle, enabling medical professionals to provide help to visitors.

The Rabati Castle site in Akhaltsikhe is located in Georgia's south. Photo: tjabeljan on Flickr.

The trained personnel have also received uniforms for their work at the newly set-up stations, marking a successful completion of a USAID programme launched in March of last year.

Other locations that have gone under the programme include the Didi Liakhvi Museum-Reserve, Vanis Kvabebi cave complex and Vardzia and Khertvisi sites.

The Georgian agency said the upgrade would serve to improve tourist potential of the sites and create economic development opportunities for locals.

The cultural heritage management body also said its work with the USAID for the programme focused on "complete" infrastructural and technical equipment of the sites.