The capital of Adjara, Batumi, was built near the confluence of rivers Bartskhani and Korolistskali, on the coast of a well-guarded natural harbor – seaside of Batumi gulf. It is a city of ancient history: as a result of archeological excavations, ruins and remnants of settlements dating to II-I millennia BC were uncovered. As early as I c. Roman naturalist and philosopher, Pliny the Elder in his work History of Nature calls Batumi a sea harbor of ‘Batiss’. As it looks, in antique times Batumi as a harbor city had important transit function and close trade relationships with neighbor and far-away countries. During centuries importance of Batumi as a port city was so big that Greeks, Romans, Ottomans or Russians perpetually tried to keep it in their hands. In the beginning of XX century, in 1919, in British occupied Batumi, governor was a British general. In 1878-1886 Batumi was declared porto-franko (port with free import and export of commodities without customs duties). In the same period was inaugurated Batumi-Baku railway (1883) and oil pipeline (1897-1907) boosting development of the city. In this period Batumi was the place of business activities of tycoons – Swede brothers Alfred, Robert and Ludwig Nobels and baron Alphonse de Rothschild. Inauguration of the railway and terminal is considered an achievement of Nobel brothers. In the house where they kept their office today is Nobel Museum, and nowadays Batumi maternity hospital is located in Rothschild house for construction of which baron brought bricks from France along with the masons. In recent years many works have been conducted to decorate the city. Beach has grown and expanded, new buildings have been constructed, entertainment parks evolved, world-famous hotel chains have opened their hotels.

 

In 1881, a park called in honor of Russian Emperor ‘Alexander’s Park’ was laid out around a small lake Nuri-Geli (area 0,06 sq.km) in downtown Batumi. In 1947 first swings and attractions were installed. In 1966 aquarium was opened where up to 100 species of fresh water, sea and ocean have their habitat. In 1975 dolphinarium, the first in the former Soviet Union, was built. Today the garden bears the

name of ‘May 6 Park’. Its area is 165 000 sq.m, while dolphinarium is a division of Scientific Research Center of Flora and Fauna of the Black Sea.

 

Location: Kakhaberi lowland

Distance: 360 km away from Tbilisi

Sea level: 5 m

Landscape: plain-hillocky

Climate: maritime, humid subtropical, mean temperature in January 6,5 degrees centigrade, mean temperature in August 22,6 degrees centigrade

Average annual precipitation: 2718 mm

Average comparative annual humidity: 81%

Annual average number of sunlight hours: 1958 h.

Natural treatment factors: humid maritime subtropical climate and sea water

Types of therapy: aerial and sun baths, swimming in the sea, sea baths, curing walks and others

Diseases for treatment: cardiovascular and respiratory system (non-TB) diseases, iron-deficit anemia, endocrine and little physical activity caused obesity.