Dry Bridge Market (Mshrali Khidi Flea Market)

Dry Bridge Market, known in Georgian as Mshrali Khidi, is an open-air flea market on the Dry Bridge and the adjoining embankment along the Mtkvari River in central Tbilisi, Georgia. The market grew from informal street trade in the late Soviet period and the difficult years following independence in 1991, when many residents sold belongings to make a living. It continues today as a daily bazaar. Stalls and spread-out blankets offer Soviet medals, badges, military uniforms, cameras, watches, cutlery, ceramics, vinyl records, rugs, jewellery, icons and paintings by local artists. Many of the objects are souvenirs of the Soviet period, such as Red Army items and communist memorabilia, which makes the market a kind of open museum of 20th-century material culture. Antique dealers, collectors and artists mingle with casual sellers, so quality and authenticity vary widely, and visitors usually bargain. The market is not a monument, so there is no restoration history or curated display; its character is organic, changing with the sellers who turn up on a given day. It is busiest at weekends when more stalls open, and the atmosphere is livelier than on weekdays. Prices are quoted in lari, and small items often start at a few GEL. Anything old that is described as an antique or cultural object may require export documentation, so buyers of significant objects should check Georgian export rules before leaving the country. The market is a short walk from Freedom Square and from Rustaveli Avenue, and it fits well into a walk that includes the Peace Bridge and Old Tbilisi.