The Life of Maro Bebo

Maro Bebo, whose actual name is Mariam Zedginidze, was born on January 1st, 1933. At the very early age of 7, in keeping with family tradition, she was already taught the art of knitting, which would then become an integral part of her life.

After graduating from school, she continued to live in the village of Muskhi in the Akhaltsikhe district. From the 1970s on she started to form various artistic circles, in which she still continues and enjoys working today at almost 90 years of age.

Maro Bebo has received many prizes, diplomas and certificates of appreciation for her lifelong work in the field of traditional Georgian handicraft. During the time of Soviet rule over Georgia she was the winner of numerous socialist craftwork competitions, was made a Veteran of Labor and has received, among others things, the Medal of Honor.

In addition, she has participated in many Georgian handicraft exhibitions and folklore festivals, where she proved that her talents are not limited to knitting and weaving: in 2015 she was awarded the title of laureate in the field of traditional song at the Georgian National Folklore Festival.

In her small, but beautiful museum, Maro Bebo keeps around 200 items of traditional Georgian craftsmanship, like hand-made carpets and rugs, traditional bags and shoes or household items collected over several decades.

Maro Bebo has been sharing her knowledge since the 1970s, having taught at Akhaltsikhe Vocational School as well as at Akhaltsikhe State University. In her museum she continues that tradition and teaches the traditional Georgian arts of carpet weaving and knitting.

In 2014 Maro Bebo was acknowledged as "Georgian National Living Treasure" for her lifelong work of preserving and teaching traditional Georgian handicraft. 

Picture credits: picture taken by beyondarts GmbH with kind permission of Maro Bebo's School Museum

Project “Increased regional added value in the tourism sectors of Georgia by Digital Heritage Tourism Guides” was funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) with funds of Austrian Development Cooperation