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Batumi

City in Georgia and the capital of Adjara From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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"Batum" redirects here. For other uses, see Batum (disambiguation).

Batumi (/bɑːˈtuːmi/; Georgian: ბათუმი pronounced [ˈb̥a'tʰu.mi] ⓘ), historically Batum[2] or Batoum,[3] is the second-largest city of Georgia and the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara. Located on the eastern shore of the Black Sea, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of the Georgia–Turkey border, Batumi lies at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains in a humid subtropical zone. As one of the country’s principal urban centers, it serves as a major seaport, commercial hub, and cultural gateway between Europe and Asia.[4]

Quick facts ბათუმი, Country ...

The city has played a significant role in the history of the south-eastern Black Sea region due to its deep-water harbor and strategic position along regional trade routes. Over the centuries, Batumi has been ruled by the Kingdom of Georgia, the Ottoman Empire, the Russian Empire, and the Soviet Union, each leaving distinct cultural and architectural imprints. Its economy historically relied on maritime trade and oil transit, particularly following the construction of the Baku–Batumi pipeline in the early 20th century. Today, it remains a key transit point for Caspian energy exports and regional commerce.

Since the early 2000s, Batumi has undergone rapid modernization, with large-scale investments in tourism, high-rise development, and transport infrastructure. It is often referred to as the “Las Vegas of the Black Sea”[5] for its gambling industry, modern hotels, and nightlife, while also being known for restored 19th-century architecture and public spaces. As of 2025, the city has a population of about 187,000 and hosts major cultural events, educational institutions, and one of Georgia’s busiest ports, making it both a leading tourist destination and a vital economic center in the South Caucasus.

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History

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Timeline of Batumi
Historical affiliations

 Lazica (to 780)
Kingdom of Abkhazia, 780–1010
Kingdom of Georgia, 1010–1455
Coat of arms of Kingdom of Imereti. Kingdom of Imereti 1455–1703
Ottoman Empire, 1703–1878
Russian Empire, 1878–1918
British Empire, 1918–1920
Dem. Rep. of Georgia, 1920–1921
USSR (Adj. ASSR in G.SSR) 1921–1991
Adjara (de facto independent, de jure part of Georgia) 1991–2004
Georgia (AR of Adjara), 1991 (2004)–present

Main articles: History of Batumi and Timeline of Batumi

Early settlement and antiquity

Batumi’s strategic location on the Black Sea coast near mountain passes into the Caucasus interior made it an important trade and military point from antiquity. Archaeological excavations at Pichvnari conducted by the Batumi Archaeological Museum alongside the University of Oxford indicate that the Adjara region was inhabited as early as the 5th century BC, with imported amphorae and other evidence of Greek maritime presence.[6] The ancient settlement is commonly identified with the Greek trading post known as Bathus or Bathys (Greek: βαθύς λιμήν, bathys limēn, “deep harbor”), a toponym recorded in classical sources.[7][8] During the reign of Hadrian (c. 117–138 CE), the area featured a Roman fortification. In the 6th century, the Byzantine Empire redirected its regional military focus to the fortress of Petra (modern Tsikhisdziri), reducing Batumi’s strategic importance.

Medieval Georgian principalities

After the fragmentation of the Kingdom of Georgia, the area came under the rule of the Princes of Guria. In the 15th–16th centuries, Batumi was intermittently occupied by the Ottoman Empire. Following the Battle of Sokhoista (1545), it fell under Ottoman control.

Ottoman rule (15th–19th centuries)

In the 15th century, during the reign of Prince Kakhaber Gurieli, the Ottoman Empire briefly seized Batumi and its surrounding district but failed to maintain control.[9] A century later, the Ottomans returned with a stronger military presence, inflicting a decisive defeat on Georgian forces at the Battle of Sokhoista in 1545. Batumi subsequently changed hands several times: it was retaken in 1546 by Prince Rostom Gurieli, lost soon afterwards, and again reclaimed in 1609 by Mamia II Gurieli.[10]

In 1703, Batumi was permanently incorporated into the Ottoman Empire as part of the Sanjak of Lazistan. Over the next century and a half, it developed into a small but active provincial port serving the empire’s eastern Black Sea hinterland, facilitating trade in timber, tobacco, and other regional products.[11]

Following the Ottoman conquest, a sustained campaign of Islamization began among the predominantly Christian Georgian population of the region. While conversion rates varied by community, this process significantly altered Adjara's demographic and cultural profile. The Islamization trend was halted and in part reversed after Batumi and Adjara were annexed by the Russian Empire following the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878).[12]

Russian Imperial era (1878–1918)

Batumi was the last major Black Sea port to be annexed by the Russian Empire during its conquest of the Caucasian Black Sea coast. Under the terms of the Treaty of San Stefano (ratified 23 March 1878), signed between Russia and the Ottoman Empire following the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878), Batumi was ceded to Russia and formally occupied on 28 August 1878.[13] It was declared a free port (*porto franco*) until 1886 to encourage trade and foreign investment.[14] Initially functioning as the center of a special military district, it was incorporated into the Kutaisi Governorate on 12 June 1883. On 1 June 1903, together with the Artvin Okrug, Batumi was reorganized as the Batum Oblast under the direct administration of the Viceroy of the Caucasus.[15]

Batumi’s expansion accelerated with major infrastructure projects: the completion of the Batumi–Tiflis–Baku railway in 1883[16][17][18] and the opening of the Baku–Batumi pipeline in 1907.[19] These developments turned Batumi into the chief Russian oil port on the Black Sea. The city’s population doubled within two decades, rising from 8,671 in 1882 to 12,000 in 1889, and by 1902 reached around 16,000, including about 1,000 employed in the oil refinery of Baron Rothschild’s Caspian and Black Sea Oil Company.[20]

In the late 1880s and 1890s, Batumi became the departure point for over 7,400 Doukhobor emigrants bound for Canada, following an agreement with the imperial government allowing their resettlement abroad. The Doukhobors, a pacifist religious minority opposed to military service, received financial and logistical assistance from Quaker and Tolstoyan supporters for the transatlantic journey. Most were eventually settled in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.[21]

British occupation and the Democratic Republic of Georgia (1918–1921)

Following the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918, the Ottoman Empire advanced into southwestern Georgia, occupying Batumi in April 1918.[22] The short-lived Treaty of Batum (4 June 1918) formalized Ottoman control over the city and surrounding district, though the Armistice of Mudros in October 1918 forced Ottoman withdrawal.[23]

In December 1918, British Army forces under General William M. Thomson occupied Batumi as part of the Allied intervention in the Caucasus, citing the need to secure the port and the Baku–Batumi pipeline in the aftermath of the Russian Civil War.[24] The British administered the city as a strategic base for regional operations, maintaining a garrison of several thousand troops.

Facing growing Georgian nationalist pressure and changing strategic priorities, Britain transferred control of Batumi to the Democratic Republic of Georgia on 7 July 1920, under an agreement recognizing Georgian sovereignty while allowing temporary Allied access to port facilities.[25] The handover was part of a broader British withdrawal from the Caucasus as post-war demobilization took effect.

Soviet era (1921–1991)

In March 1921, during the final stages of the Red Army invasion of Georgia, Turkish troops briefly occupied Batumi under the pretext of protecting the local Muslim population.[26] Following a short period of Georgian control, the city was transferred to the Soviet Union in accordance with the Treaty of Kars (October 1921), which confirmed Turkish recognition of Soviet sovereignty over Batumi and the surrounding Adjara region in exchange for border adjustments in northeastern Turkey.[27]

To address the distinct religious and cultural composition of the local population, the Soviets established the Adjarian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic on 16 July 1921, granting nominal autonomy within the Georgian SSR to Adjara’s predominantly Muslim community.[28]

Throughout the Soviet period, Batumi underwent significant transformation. The port was expanded and modernized, becoming a key hub for Black Sea trade, particularly for oil exports from the Baku–Batumi pipeline. Industrialization brought new factories, ship-repair facilities, and food-processing plants, while Soviet urban planning introduced wide boulevards, parks, and standardized residential districts.[29]

In addition to its industrial role, Batumi developed as a resort destination for Soviet citizens, with new hotels, sanatoriums, and a revitalized seaside promenade attracting tourists from across the USSR. The city’s population steadily grew due to internal migration, reflecting its dual role as both a working port and a leisure center on the Black Sea coast.[30]

Post-independence (1991–present)

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Batumi at night, with lighted stadium in the centre

Following Georgia’s declaration of independence in April 1991, Adjara remained part of the country but developed into a semi-autonomous region under the de facto control of regional leader Aslan Abashidze.[31] Abashidze consolidated power by maintaining his own security forces, controlling customs revenues from the port, and limiting the influence of the central government in Tbilisi.

Tensions with the Georgian government escalated in early 2004, following the Rose Revolution, as President Mikheil Saakashvili sought to reassert central authority over Adjara. Mass protests in Batumi and surrounding towns in May 2004 combined with the defection of key security officials forced Abashidze to resign and flee to Russia on 6 May 2004.[32] The region was then reintegrated into Georgia’s political and administrative framework.

Since 2004, Batumi has undergone significant transformation, driven by foreign investment, large-scale urban redevelopment, and government-backed infrastructure projects. The city has emerged as a major tourism hub on the Black Sea, with the construction of modern hotels, a renovated seaside boulevard, and cultural venues aimed at attracting international visitors.[33][34]

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As Georgia's Black Sea coast continues to develop, high-rises are being built amongst Batumi's traditionally classical cityscapes.

Parallel to the tourism boom, the Port of Batumi has been modernized to handle increased cargo traffic, reinforcing its role as a strategic transit point for Caspian oil and regional trade. Ongoing projects include port deepening, new ferry terminals, and expanded logistics facilities, positioning Batumi as both a leisure destination and a commercial gateway in the South Caucasus.[35][36]

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Geography

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Climate

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Batumi at night

Batumi has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) according to Köppen's classification. The city's climate is heavily influenced by the onshore flow from the Black Sea and is subject to the orographic effect of the nearby hills and mountains, resulting in significant rainfall throughout most of the year, making Batumi the wettest city in both Georgia and the entire Caucasus Region.

The average annual temperature in Batumi is approximately 14 °C (57 °F). January is the coldest month with an average temperature of 5 °C (41 °F). August is the hottest month, with an average temperature of 22 °C (72 °F). The absolute minimum recorded temperature is −6 °C (21 °F), and the absolute maximum is 40 °C (104 °F). The number of days with daily temperatures above 10 °C (50 °F) is 239. The city receives 1958 hours of sunshine per year.

Batumi's average annual precipitation is 2,435 mm (95.9 in). November is the wettest month with an average of 312 mm (12.3 in) of precipitation, while May is the driest, averaging 84 mm (3.3 in). Batumi receives snow most years, but it is often limited in amount (accumulating snowfall of more than 30 cm (11.8 in) is rare), and the number of days with snow cover for the year is 12. The average level of relative humidity ranges from 70 to 80%.

More information Climate data for (normals for 1981-2010), Month ...

Subdivisions

According to the 31 March 2008, decision of the Batumi City Council, Batumi is divided into seven boroughs, those of:

  • Old Batumi (ძველი ბათუმის უბანი)
  • Rustaveli (რუსთაველის უბანი)
  • Khimshiashvili (ხიმშიაშვილის უბანი)
  • Bagrationi (ბაგრატიონის უბანი)
  • Aghmashenebeli (აღმაშენებლის უბანი)
  • Javakhishvili (ჯავახიშვილის უბანი)
  • Tamar (თამარის უბანი)
  • Boni-Gorodok (ბონი-გოროდოკის უბანი)
  • Airport (აეროპორტის უბანი)
  • Gonio-Kvariati (გონიო-კვარიათის უბანი)
  • Kakhaberi (კახაბრის უბანი)
  • Batumi Industrial (ბათუმის სამრეწველო უბანი)
  • Green Cape (მწვანე კონცხის უბანი)[40]

Cityscape

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Port of Batumi in 1881

Contemporary architecture

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Batumi Neptun Square
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Batumi boulevard and beach
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Marriott Hotel, Batumi
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Radisson Blu Hotel, Batumi

Batumi's skyline has been transformed since 2007 with remarkable buildings and monuments of contemporary architecture,[4] including:[41]

  • Marriott Hotel
  • Radisson Blu hotel
  • Public Service Hall
  • Hilton Batumi
  • Leogrand

A large Kempinski hotel and casino is to open in 2013, a Hilton Hotel as well as a 47-storey Trump Tower is also planned.[42] Alliance Privilege, a building compromising Marriott Hotel, Casino and serviced apartments is one of the contemporary buildings with unique architecture by the beach.

Novelty architecture

Novelty architecture in Batumi includes:

Sites of interest

Main sights

Attractions include

Tourist attractions

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Panorama view of Batumi Europe Square and Medea Statue
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Demographics

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Georgian Orthodox Cathedral of the Mother of God
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Religion

Of the 4,970 inhabitants in 1872, about 4,500 were Muslim (Adjarians, Turks, Circassians, and Abkhazians). In the 1897 census, the Orthodox Christian population was 15,495 (mostly Slavs) while Muslims numbered 3,156, including some of whom were citizens of Turkey.[51]

As of 2014, out of 152,839 inhabitants of Batumi, 68,7% is Eastern Orthodox Christian, and they primarily adhere to the national Georgian Orthodox Church.[52][53] Muslims make up 25,3% of population,[52] while there are also Catholic, Armenian Apostolic, Jehovah's Witness, Seventh-day Adventist, and Jewish communities.[53]

The main places of worship in the city are:

Culture

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University of Batumi

Batumi has 18 various museums, including State Art Museum of Adjara. Rugby Union club Batumi RC competes in the Georgian Didi 10 and previously competed in the Pan-European Rugby Europe Super Cup. Football club FC Dinamo Batumi play at the Batumi stadium.

A sculpture by Tamara Kvesitadze of two standing figures on the seashore shows the story first told in the 1937 Austrian novel, Ali and Nino, of lovers who are parted after World War I. Each day, the two figures move toward each other but never stay together. Ali, an Azerbaijani Muslim, falls in love with Georgian princess, Nino, but sadly, after they are finally able to get together, the war hits home and Ali is killed. It was installed in 2010.[55]

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Notable people

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Notable people who are from or have resided in Batumi:

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Economy and infrastructure

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The seaport of Batumi with the city in the background.

Transport

The city is served by Batumi Airport, one of three international airports in the country.[56]

The main types of public transport are buses, minibusses, and taxis. Batumi has modern electric buses. Using the service is possible by BATUMICARD, transit card, or debit/credit cards. Buses connect almost everywhere in the city. A bike-sharing system named BatumVelo allows you to rent a bicycle on the street with a smart card.[57]

The port of Batumi is on one of the routes of China's proposed Eurasian Land Bridge (part of the "New Silk Road"), which would see an eastern freight link to China via Azerbaijan and the Caspian Sea, and a western link by ferry to Ukraine and on to Europe.[58]

Education

Batumi has become an emerging centre for medical education in the Caucasus region, attracting international students due to its affordable tuition and English-language programs. Institutions such as Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University, BAU International University offer accredited medical degrees recognized across America, Europe and Asia.[59]

The city’s growth in medical education is supported by modern infrastructure and increasing foreign enrollment. According to The Times of India, many Indian students choose Batumi for MBBS studies due to simplified admission processes and NMC-recognized curriculum.[60]

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Postage stamps

Main article: Postage stamps of Batum under British occupation

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Georgia (country)

Batumi is twinned with:[61]

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Gallery

Cityscapes & Sea

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    Batumi at night
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    Seaside boulevard and beach
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    Batumi Seaport
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    Night skyline with stadium (2024)

Modern architecture & landmarks

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    Europe square in Batumi
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    Neptun Square
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    Radisson Blu Hotel
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    Marriott Hotel, Batumi
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    Alphabetic Tower
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    Batumi Piazza
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    Public Service Hall

Heritage & history

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    Port of Batumi, 1881
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    Colonnades on the boulevard
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    Cathedral of the Mother of God
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    Batumi Synagogue
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    Batumi Mosque

References

External links

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