Ekvtime Takaishvili (January 3,1863-February 21,1953) was a great Georgian historian, archaeologist and public benefactor, Dr.Sci., Professor, Academician of the Georgian Academy of Sciences (1946), one of the founders of the Tbilisi State University (TSU). He was born in the Guria region of Western Georgia,the village of Likhauri .

In 1887 he graduated from the St. Petersburg University (Russia). In 1887-1904 - teacher of history (1887-1894) and director of the Tbilisi Georgian Gymnasium , in 1904-1917 - teacher of history of the 6th Gymnasium of Tbilisi. In 1918-1921 and 1945-1951 Takaishvili was a Professor of the Tbilisi State University. In 1907-1921 he managed the Society of History and Ethnography of Georgia.

In 1918-1921 he was a Deputy Chairman of the Parliament (Dampudznebeli Kreba) of the Democratic Republic of Georgia. In 1917 he was one of the founders of the National-Democratic Party of Georgia.

In 1907-1910 he managed archaological expedition's in the Georgian historical province Tao-Klarjeti (now territory of Turkey).

Takaishvili's role in the maintenance of Georgian culture is tremendious. He saved Georgian cultural heritage, when Russian Bolshevik Army occupied Georgia in February, 1921. He managed to take all the treasure to France and returned later (1945) to Georgia when it would not be in danger of predators.Although he lived in harsh economical conditions in exile,he never even sell a single piece of the values to live on.

Takaishvili was a Fellow of the Asiatic Society of Paris (since 1925) and the Society of Numismatics of France (since 1922). He was a member of Editorial Board of the international scientific journal "Georgica" (England).

He was author of many outstanding scientific-research works (among them about 20 monographs) in the fields of History of Georgia, Source Studies of the History of Georgia and the Caucasus and archaeology.

Some of main scieentific works of E. Takaishvili:

• Ekvtime Takaishvili. "Georgian chronology and the begining of the Bagratid rule in Georgia".- J. "Georgica", vol. I, London, 1935
• Sumbat Davitis dze. "Chronicle of the Bagration's of Tao-Klarjeti", with the investigation of Ekvtime Takaishvili, Tbilisi, 1949 (in Georgian)