Batumi 4: Port City

Jessie T. Ponce Photography

Batumi Beach and the Black Sea

Jessie T. Ponce Photography

Benches provide a perfect place to enjoy the sunshine by the port

A seaside city on the Black Sea coast of Georgia, Batumi plays a vital and strategic role in Georgia’s social, political and economic life. It is the capital of the autonomous province of Adjara in the southwest border of the country. With its large port and commercial complex, Batumi is a centre for shipbuilding and manufacturing. It is also an important gateway for the shipment of goods heading into Georgia, Azerbaijan, and landlocked Armenia. Its port is used for the shipment of oil from Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Its oil refinery also handles Caspian oil from Azerbaijan which arrives by pipeline to Supsa port and is transported to Batumi by rail. Batumi is also the last stop of the Trans-Caucasian Railway and the Baku oil pipeline. Batumi’s name came from the history of its site. Its location was once the ancient Greek colony in Colchis called Bathus or Bathys which is derived from the Greek phrase bathus limen or bathys limin meaning "deep harbour". However, aside from its harbour, the place is agriculturally productive as well. Situated in a subtropical zone some 20 kilometers from the Turkish border, Batumi is rich in agricultural produce such as citrus and tea. The onshore flow from the Black Sea and climactic effects of the surrounding mountains result to a significant rainfall throughout most of the year, making Batumi the wettest city in Georgia and the entire Caucasus. The average annual temperature in Batumi is approximately 14 degrees Celsius. January is the coldest month with an average temperature of 7 °C while August is the hottest with an average temperature of 22 °C. The city receives almost 2000 hours of sunshine per year. As of 2002, it had a population of around 122,000. Jessie T. Ponce Photography

Two old men by the port

Jessie T. Ponce Photography

The old man and the Black Sea

A seaside city on the Black Sea coast of Georgia, Batumi plays a vital and strategic role in Georgia’s social, political and economic life.  It is the capital of the autonomous province of Adjara in the southwest border of the country. With its large port and commercial complex, Batumi is a centre for shipbuilding and manufacturing.  It is also an important gateway for the shipment of goods heading into Georgia, Azerbaijan, and landlocked Armenia. Its port is used for the shipment of oil from Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. Its oil refinery also handles Caspian oil from Azerbaijan which arrives by pipeline to Supsa port and is transported to Batumi by rail. Batumi is also the last stop of the Trans-Caucasian Railway and the Baku oil pipeline.

Batumi’s name came from the history of its site. Its location was once the ancient Greek colony in Colchis called Bathus or Bathys which is derived from the Greek phrase bathus limen or bathys limin meaning “deep harbour”. However, aside from its harbour, the place is agriculturally productive as well. Situated in a subtropical zone some 20 kilometers from the Turkish border, Batumi is rich in agricultural produce such as citrus and tea.  The onshore flow from the Black Sea and climactic effects of the surrounding mountains result to a significant rainfall throughout most of the year, making Batumi the wettest city in Georgia and the entire Caucasus.  The average annual temperature in Batumi is approximately 14 degrees Celsius. January is the coldest month with an average temperature of 7 °C while August is the hottest with an average temperature of 22 °C. The city receives almost 2000 hours of sunshine per year. As of 2002, it had a population of around 122,000.

Jessie T. Ponce Photography

Batumi Boulevard and its rising structures

Jessie T. Ponce Photography

Parks and restaurants fill the long stretch of Batumi Boulevard

Jessie T. Ponce Photography

A quiet clubhouse in early spring

Jessie T. Ponce Photography

A Wedding Place in a park at Batumi Boulevard

Jessie T. Ponce Photography

A very long stretch of beautifully developed beach

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Category : Architecture, Landscapes, Photo Essays, Seascapes, Shutter Bug's Travels
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