Batumi Old Town Architecture and History
Wander Batumi's atmospheric old town where Ottoman-era mosques, Russian Imperial-period buildings, Art Nouveau mansions, and Soviet architecture layer centuries of history in the streets behind the modern casino towers.
- 1
Old Town Square
Begin in Piazza Square at the heart of old Batumi where the Italian-style piazza with its central column and surrounding cafes creates an unexpected Mediterranean atmosphere in this subtropical Georgian port city.
- 2
Europe Square
Stand in Europe Square where the ornate 19th-century buildings housing banks, hotels, and administrative offices reflect Batumi's prosperous past as a major oil export port after the Baku-Batumi pipeline opened in 1883.
- 3
Orthodox Cathedral
Enter the Cathedral of the Mother of God, Batumi's main Orthodox church rebuilt from the original 19th-century structure, its interior decorated with traditional Georgian ecclesiastical murals and ornate metalwork iconostasis.
- 4
Mosque and Minaret
Visit the Orta Jame mosque with its elegant minaret that recalls Batumi's Ottoman period and the continuing Muslim community whose presence reflects the city's position at the intersection of Christian and Muslim Caucasian cultures.
- 5
Art Nouveau District
Walk through the streets where Art Nouveau mansions from the early 20th century wealthy oil era survive with elaborate facades, wrought iron balconies, and ornate window treatments in the European style fashionable among Batumi's prosperous merchant class.
- 6
Old Harbor Area
Reach the old harbor where the industrial waterfront has been partially transformed for tourism while maintaining traces of Batumi's historic role as the Black Sea's oil export terminal, the gateway through which Caspian petroleum reached European markets.
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