Batumi (ბათუმი), Georgia

View of the Black Sea at Batumi, Georgia


Batumi (Georgian: ბათუმი) is a city on the Georgian Black Sea coast. Located on the southwestern part of the country, it is the capital of the Ajara Autonomous Republic within Georgia. The city is an important port and commercial hub for the country. It has a population of 124,000 people (2011 estimate).

Batumi experiences a humid subtropical climate which is heavily moderated by the Black Sea. July and August are the warmest months here, when the average high temperature rises to 26°C (79°F). Coldest months are January and February, when the average low temperature drops to 7°C (45°F). September is the wettest month, receiving 335 mm (13.19 in) of rainfall.

Batumi dates back to the time of the ancient Greeks, when it was known as Bathus. During the Roman period, Emperor Hadrian built a port here. Control over Batumi passed from the Romans to the Byzantine and then to the Kingdom of Lazica, before eventually becoming part of a united Georgia in the 10th century.

Batumi Port


The Ottomans were to make several incursions on Batumi, but did not hold on to it until 1723, when it was finally made part of the Ottoman Empire, resulting in the Islamization of the area. The defeat of the Ottoman Empire in the Russo-Turkish War (1877-78) led to the Treaty of San Stefano in 1878, which saw Russia annexing Batumi.

Under Russian rule, Batumi began to develop and modernize. The Russians built railway line and pipeline, making it the main port for the export of Russian oil. Turkey reentered Batumi in 1918, but eventually ceded it to the Bolsheviks in 1920, on the condition that it be given autonomy.

Greek church, Parnavaz Street, Batumi


When the Soviet Union collapsed, the Ajara Autonomous Republic remained in Georgia even as Abkhazia attempted to break away. Today Batumi remains the main port for Georgia, from which oil is shipped to other places of the world.

Visiting Batumi

The Batumi International Airport (BUS) receives flights from Ankara, Baku, Istanbul, Kiev, Moscow, Tbilisi and Teheran. You can also get there by train from Tbilisi.

Streets of Batumi

Places of Interest in Batumi

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