The Family of Academician Sergi Jikia Has Donated a Unique Collection of Books and Publications to the GTU Library
30-12-2025
An exhibition of the unique collection of books and publications of the famous orientalist, founder of Turkology in Georgia, academician of the Georgian Academy of Sciences, Sergi Jikia, is underway at the Niko Muskhelishvili University Library of the Georgian Technical University.
The unique collection of Academician Sergi Jikia’s books was donated to the University Library by his family, which is a significant contribution to the preservation of Georgian scientific heritage and ensuring its accessibility for future generations.
According to the head of the Niko Muskhelishvili University Library of the GTU, the exhibition presents a part of the personal library of Academician Sergi Jikia, which includes rare publications, scientific works, and literature important for the development of Oriental Studies and Turkology. According to Professor Vazha Papaskiri, the fund is of particular interest to researchers, students, and the broader academic community.
“The transfer of the unique collection of books and publications of Academician Sergi Jikia to the University Library of the Georgian Technical University is an event of particular importance. This collection not only reflects the many years of scientific activity of the Georgian scientist, but also represents a valuable source for future research in the field of Oriental Studies and Turkology. The protection of such collections, their accessibility for the research process, and their integration into the academic environment are one of the main missions of the library, which contributes to both the preservation of the national scientific heritage and the creation of a solid foundation for its further development,” says Vazha Papaskiri.
As the granddaughter of the great scientist, Assistant Professor of the Faculty of Business Technologies of the GTU, Ana Jikia notes, the initiative to establish a unique fund named after Academician Sergi Jikia at the university, the basis of which is his personal scientific library, is of particular importance to the family.
“Sergi Jikia was not only the founder of Georgian Turkology and an academician of the Georgian Academy of Sciences, but also a scientist who closely connected the Georgian and Turkish academic spaces. The “Great Book of the Province of Gurjistan,” prepared and published by him, remains one of the most important sources for the study of Georgian history, the Ottoman administrative system, and the historical processes of the Caucasus to this day. I believe that the transfer of the academician’s unique library to the university and the creation of a special fund based on it will be not only a memorial, but also a step of great practical and research importance. The display of several pages of the “Great Book of the Province of Gurjistan” within the framework of this fund will promote direct contact of students and researchers with primary sources and strengthen historical and documentary awareness. Such a fund must become a substantive platform for the university to deepen academic cooperation with Turkish colleagues. Sergi Jikia’s works are still considered an authoritative and supporting source in Turkology and Ottoman studies, which creates a natural basis for joint research, projects, and scientific dialogue. For me, this initiative also carries personal significance: I am the granddaughter of Academician Sergi Jikia, who studied, defended his academic degree, and carried out his further scientific work at this very university. The creation of a unique foundation in this space symbolically and professionally reflects for me the convergence of academic tradition, continuity between generations, and the values of the university. I believe that the Academician Sergi Jikia Foundation will become a booster of the university’s research potential, an important part of its academic identity, and a valuable pillar for international scientific cooperation,” says Ana Jikia.
The unique collection of Academician Sergi Jikia’s books was donated to the University Library by his family, which is a significant contribution to the preservation of Georgian scientific heritage and ensuring its accessibility for future generations.
According to the head of the Niko Muskhelishvili University Library of the GTU, the exhibition presents a part of the personal library of Academician Sergi Jikia, which includes rare publications, scientific works, and literature important for the development of Oriental Studies and Turkology. According to Professor Vazha Papaskiri, the fund is of particular interest to researchers, students, and the broader academic community.
“The transfer of the unique collection of books and publications of Academician Sergi Jikia to the University Library of the Georgian Technical University is an event of particular importance. This collection not only reflects the many years of scientific activity of the Georgian scientist, but also represents a valuable source for future research in the field of Oriental Studies and Turkology. The protection of such collections, their accessibility for the research process, and their integration into the academic environment are one of the main missions of the library, which contributes to both the preservation of the national scientific heritage and the creation of a solid foundation for its further development,” says Vazha Papaskiri.
As the granddaughter of the great scientist, Assistant Professor of the Faculty of Business Technologies of the GTU, Ana Jikia notes, the initiative to establish a unique fund named after Academician Sergi Jikia at the university, the basis of which is his personal scientific library, is of particular importance to the family.
“Sergi Jikia was not only the founder of Georgian Turkology and an academician of the Georgian Academy of Sciences, but also a scientist who closely connected the Georgian and Turkish academic spaces. The “Great Book of the Province of Gurjistan,” prepared and published by him, remains one of the most important sources for the study of Georgian history, the Ottoman administrative system, and the historical processes of the Caucasus to this day. I believe that the transfer of the academician’s unique library to the university and the creation of a special fund based on it will be not only a memorial, but also a step of great practical and research importance. The display of several pages of the “Great Book of the Province of Gurjistan” within the framework of this fund will promote direct contact of students and researchers with primary sources and strengthen historical and documentary awareness. Such a fund must become a substantive platform for the university to deepen academic cooperation with Turkish colleagues. Sergi Jikia’s works are still considered an authoritative and supporting source in Turkology and Ottoman studies, which creates a natural basis for joint research, projects, and scientific dialogue. For me, this initiative also carries personal significance: I am the granddaughter of Academician Sergi Jikia, who studied, defended his academic degree, and carried out his further scientific work at this very university. The creation of a unique foundation in this space symbolically and professionally reflects for me the convergence of academic tradition, continuity between generations, and the values of the university. I believe that the Academician Sergi Jikia Foundation will become a booster of the university’s research potential, an important part of its academic identity, and a valuable pillar for international scientific cooperation,” says Ana Jikia.
