AJARIAN KHACHAPURI

A trip to Batumi should surprise no one nowadays. Many visitors know the sculpture of Ali and Nino on the Batumi Boulevard, the Ferris wheel, the Alphabet Tower, and so on. And most importantly, one can swim right on the boulevard. But Batumi is not only the sea, especially for Azerbaijanis who are no stranger to the sea. You will find yourself in a completely different world - the world of mountains, rivers, waterfalls, antique and medieval fortresses just 10-20 km away from the city. That is why the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Ajaria is a popular resort for almost 800 thousand tourists in the summer season, which is twice the population of Batumi. In recent years, the citizens of Azerbaijan have become the avid tourists frequenting Georgia and, particularly, Ajaria. According to the 2016 statistics, 1.5 out of 6.3 million tourists visiting Georgia are our nationals, with the largest share of them stopping by in Ajaria.

The Batumi Boulevard

This eight-kilometre long coastal park was established in 1881. It is a favourite walking spot for tourists invading the boulevard each summer. One of the popular scenes for photo shoots here is the sculpture of Ali and Nino erected in honour of the heroes of Gurban Said’s famous novel. All day long, the figures of the loving couple spin around in circles approaching each other. Right on the boulevard, you can admire the local marina full of yachts of various kinds, albeit not as luxurious as in Dubai or Monaco but noteworthy nevertheless.

A beautiful view of the boulevard opens from the top of the Ferris wheel right next to the sculpture, as well as from the Alphabet Tower decorated with 33 letters of the Georgian alphabet, which combine the design of DNA. One of the oldest objects on the boulevard is a lighthouse built back in 1863 when these territories were under the Ottoman rule. Currently, the lighthouse uses a beam of an infrared light to guide the ships entering the Batumi port in inclement weather conditions. Nearby is the Chacha Tower, which indeed was the source of this strong alcoholic beverage back in the day. But due to increasingly high number of fans of the free chacha, a "charitable" distribution of the drink was stopped so as not to promote alcoholism.

Another notable spots in the boulevard are the musical fountain complex and Batumi’s wedding palace, where any couple can join in matrimony under the noise of a bamboo grove. The colourful night illumination of the fountain attracts many tourists, while the children figurines with musical instruments on the columns provide a special ambience to the park. In the centre of the boulevard is a majestic colonnade symbolising the gates of the park. It was built in the 1930s together with the impressive Summer Theatre.

In general, the visitors are free to discover lots of small sculptures scattered around the entire boulevard area and lending a particular flavour to Batumi.

The Tolerant City

At some walking distance into the boulevard, you can see relatively old buildings standing side by side with modern structures, which have become a trademark of the city, like the Piazza Square. This Venetian style complex adorns Batumi since 2009 and is a popular open-air landmark famous for its live concerts for the dining tourists.

Next to the Piazza Square is the central mosque of Batumi built by the Ottomans in 1863. Here is the Church of St. Nicholas built almost at the same time at the request of the Orthodox Greeks. At first glance, the Batumi Cathedral does not look like an architecture typical for the Georgian Orthodox Church; rather it is a reminiscent of the Catholic churches. In fact, the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary was built in 1902 by the Catholic community and housed one of the research institutes during the Soviet period before being transferred to the Georgian Orthodox Church.

Dolphin – the symbol of Batumi

While in Batumi, you cannot miss a colourful show in the local dolphinarium. The dolphins are a symbol of Batumi and often approach the people swimming along the coastline. For quite an affordable entrance fee (₾15 or $7.5), you can immerse into the incredible atmosphere of holiday created by these intelligent species.

Before the start of the show, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the Nurigel Lake under the shade of trees growing on its banks. You can also see many anglers here or visit the Batumi Zoo.

The Batumians believe that this amazing resort city, the capital of Ajaria, has become famous after the independence and even since the beginning of this century. In the Soviet period, Sukhumi was the most popular Black Sea resort of Georgia, while Batumi has long been considered as one of the largest port cities. Its proximity to the Turkish border had not contributed much to the openness of the city. But few would decide to spend a vacation in the separatist Sukhumi nowadays, whereas Batumi has quickly renewed and left Sukhumi, dilapidated back in the early 1990s, far behind.

The port that connected the Baku oil to the world

Despite its resort status, Batumi remains the second largest port of Georgia after Poti. As early as the beginning of the 20th century, Baku and Batumi were connected with the first pipeline in the Russian Empire used to pump kerosene and crude oil. Thanks to the oil from Baku, an oil refinery was built in Batumi, although it does not exist anymore. But the Batumi port remains as important for Azerbaijan as before: it receives up to 3 million tons of Azerbaijani and Kazakh oil transported by rail annually. Therefore, it is not surprising that one of the central streets of Batumi passing by the port is called Baku.

Batumi is by no means a beach city only. The neighbourhoods of the capital attract the fans of active ecotourism and ancient historical monuments.

The Ancient City

Aristotle mentions the city of Batus (meaning deep) on the Black Sea coast in the 4th century BC. Batumi remains one of the deep-sea ports of the Black Sea. In fact, there are no ancient monuments in the city, except the remains of a medieval fortress dating back the 12th century AD and located a few kilometres from the city centre.

The fans of antiquities can visit the village of Gonio (20 km from Batumi) to see the Gonio-Apsaros fortress. This Roman fortress of the 1st century BC was first mentioned by Strabo as a housing accommodation for three-five Roman cohorts. Later, the fortress has become the property of Byzantium, the Colchis and Georgian kingdoms, the Ottoman and Russian empires. No matter who was the succeeding ruler of Gonio-Apsaros, the fortress had always been used for its intended purpose with its walls being constantly updated, which has contributed to its preservation up until now. The whole complex has basically remained intact since the Ottoman times. Inside the fortress, you can see the fragments of the Roman baths and a two thousand-year-old water pipe. The name ‘Apsaros’ derives from a myth about the Argonauts and the Golden Fleece. A king of Colchis, Aeetes, sent his son Absyrtus to chase the Argonauts, who had stolen the fleece with the help of Medea, Aeetes’s daughter. However, the leader of the Argonauts, Jason, killed Absyrtus… Failure to use such a well-known legend would be an unattainable luxury for Batumi. Currently, a statue of Medea holding the Golden Fleece adorns one of the central squares of the city.

The Gonio-Apsaros fortress is a theme of another story. Thus, according to some historical reports, it is a resting place for Saint Matthew, who became one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ after his betrayal by Judas. It is claimed that Matthew had been preaching the Christianity in Georgia before he died as a martyr near Gonio and was buried herein, where one can still see his grave. The credibility of this story remains questionable, since other sources report that Matthew was killed in Judea and his relics were later transferred to Germany.

Kobuleti

Incidentally, you do not need to limit yourself to Batumi while planning your vacation in Ajaria. If you wish to escape from the urban fuss, we highly recommend visiting a small resort town of Kobuleti located just a few kilometres to the north. It is remarkable for its beautiful beaches and one of the longest streets in the entire post-Soviet territory – a 13 km-long slightly-curved path running along the coastline. In addition to large hotels, you can find many houses there for rent. A little far from Kobuleti, just on the border of Ajaria and Guria, is the magnificent Black See Arena, which attracts many world-class celebrities every year. On May 20, this famous concert hall will be packed with the fans of the legendary rock band Aerosmith. Previous performers include the Scorpions, Christina Aguilera, Vanessa May and many other stars.

Before the concert, you can enjoy a short walk in the nearby park decorated with the statues of famous Georgian and world composers and singers. It is amazing to hear short passages from the works of these artists when you walk by them.

Abundance of forests and rivers

For those who love the nature tourism, make sure to visit the Batumi Botanical Garden located fifteen minutes’ drive from the city centre. A top down view of Batumi from the garden, which covers an area of ​​110 hectares, is amazing. By the way, it is very close to yet another popular beach, Cape Verde, where the trees almost approach the sea.

The Botanical Garden was founded in 1880 and has been open to visitors since 1912. You can see some five thousand plant species there, which makes it one of the largest gardens in the world. There are trees and plants from the North and South America, Japan, Australia, etc. In general, the garden is divided into 21 zones united under 9 branches. Clean air, the smell of flowers will literally turn your head. Even the inveterate smokers will forget about their cigarettes walking in the shadows of mighty eucalypts, pines, cypresses, oaks, palms, magnolias, and so on.

A separate alley, Sunny Night, built for the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia Ilia II is located on the elevated platform inside the garden next to a house where the patriarch has stayed for some time during his visit. Finally, do not forget to pass by the tulip tree, which apparently has fallen due to a strong wind but has given life to several other trees that grow up vertically from the main trunk.

If you drive some 30 kilometres east from Batumi along the Chorokhi River, you can hear the raging noise of the Makhuntseti waterfall. The popular wisdom says: “There are three things that one can watch endlessly – flowing water, burning fire and a working man”. Now imagine the water falling down from 30 meters (some say 50 meters) – a fascinating experience that one cannot cease watching at. In a particularly hot weather, you can even swim inside the plunge pool. Just across the road from the waterfall is an arched bridge dating back the 12th-13th centuries. The locals call it the Queen Tamara’s (1166-1213) Bridge. Tamara was the queen of Georgia, who had ruled during one of the best periods in the history of this small Caucasian country, namely the Golden Age of the Georgian history. Built from stone and limestone, the bridge over the Acharistskhali River has been serving the people for over 900 years. It is believed that one must make a wish on the bridge, which will surely come true.

Abundance of wine and cheese

On your way to Makhuntseti, it is worth stopping at the confluence of Chorokhi and Acharistskhali rivers. The muddy waters of Acharistskhali flow into the pure Chorokhi further continuing their journey to the Black Sea.

Going back from the Makhuntseti waterfall, the wine lovers can stop by the Ajaria Wine House. Georgia has been famous for its wines since the ancient times, being one of the oldest centres of viniculture. The archaeological finds indicate that the wine production in Georgia originated in the II-III millennium BC, which makes the country one of the oldest cradles of winery. Although the most famous Georgian wines are produced in Kakheti region located in the Alazani Valley, Ajaria can also offer its special flavours. One of them is a rose wine produced from the Chkhaveri grape variety. It is quite expensive, by Georgian standards, - a bottle will cost you ₾50 (about $20). By the way, the former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has tried Chkhaveri there.

Since we spoke about the wines, it is time to utter a couple of words about the Georgian banquets. Well, you may be served different types of meals depending on which region of Georgia you are visiting, but the cheese and wine will be always present on the table. It is impossible to imagine a Georgian feast without these two ingredients. Like the wines, the cheeses also vary from one region to another. Ajaria is known for its special braided cheese with a rather tender but salty taste. By the way, this cheese is used to make one of the popular Ajarian dishes, borano. Due to the proximity of the sea and the abundance of rivers, the Ajarians like fish and serve a variety of fish dishes. The flour dishes achma, sinori, and the Imereti khachapuri are extremely popular. While you can taste all of them say in a combined manner, the Ajarian khachapuri is quite different. It is so rich that the locals prefer eating it for breakfast or lunch. The dough is shaped into an open gondola topped with a raw egg and butter. This particular dish symbolises Ajaria, a sunny sea country with an ancient history.