Major resort of Abkhazia, Sokhumi, is located in the magnificent gulf of the Black Sea coast, between confluence

of rivers Gumista and Kelasuri.

 

Territory of the town was settled from times immemorial. Old Greek myth about Argonauts tells the story of twins Kastor and Polidevkes who accompanied Jason and founded town of Dioskuria (‘Twin’s town’ in Greek) on the spot of the today’s town of

Sokhumi. This town really existed and roughly two thousand years ago was gobbled up by the sea. Its ruins were uncovered in the Sokhumi water area in the middle of the XX century. On the surrounding territory of Dioskuria a town was built which according to the Georgian Annals was called ‘Tskhumi/Tskhomi’ (‘Hornbeam tree’); Roman invaders called Tskhumi located on the important strategic position ‘Sebastopolis’, while Turks changed ‘Tskhumi’ in ‘Sukhimi’. It is Turkish language that distributed

moniker ‘Sukhum’ in other languages.

 

Subtropical climate of Sokhumi creates conditions for diversity of plant cover. Here are widely distributed typical for Black Sea climate both subtropical deciduous (palm, magnolia, eucalyptus, bay leaf) and coniferous (cypress, cedar, pine and others) vegetation, fruit orchards and citrus groves, exotic plants: palms, eucalyptus, thuja, Himalaya cedar and feijoa. There are lots of roses in the parks of the town, even in winter mimosa and acacia are in blossom.

 

The main object of interest in Sokhumi, Botanical garden, was opened in 1838. More than 4500 species of plants were assembled here in the course of time. Besides of nearly 1200 rare species of subtropical plants, 350 species of greenhouse and 50 species of water plants grow here. The pride of the park is an alley of South American elephants, or Iubea Alley. 

 

North of the Botanical garden is situated Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Pathology and Therapy founded in 1927, a monkey-house in popular talk, where various scientific experiments have been conducted for many years. In 1977 monument to a monkey was installed at the entrance to the Institute. That is how contribution of the Institute residents to the fight against typhus, poliomyelitis, cancer and other dangerous diseases was honored.