“Georgia 🇬🇪 ~Batumi, The Black Sea, Medieval Stone Bridges and Kobuleti”

• June 6, 2021
• By Pen
• 2 Comments

Here we are, enjoying the second largest city in Georgia. We consider some of our stops, an actual vacation. This is one of those times. Traveling as we do, (by choice) is far more work, than relaxation. So, here we are for about five days, and there are no calorie-counting on vacation.  

Batumi is as modern, as Tbilisi is old. Although, there is a square with very old architecture. We are two out of two, of loving big cities in Georgia. Usually we work hard at escaping the big cities. In Georgia, we want to be right in the middle of them. What fun!

We were able to visit with locals in a tourist information office, which is the first tourist office we have seen, open, since before 2020, when the virus closed up so many places. What we learned about the roads in Georgia is not encouraging, as they are mostly ALL torn up, being redone. Georgia has hired many countries to partake in the reconstruction. China is mostly engineering as we had guessed, but Australia is also working here. At least we got advance notice, for us to digest. We will see how it goes, as we try to move forward with our plans. We are really enjoying Georgia and hope we can manage the construction.

The monument of Medea holding the Golden Fleece, indicates the fact that the Black Sea coast of Georgia was a part of the legendary kingdom of Colchis. Batumi joined the Assembly of European Regions. This statue of Medea was placed in the center of the square as a symbol of ancient Georgian connections with the European world. The red building is a popular concert venue; names such as Jose Carreras, Andrea Bocelli, Bueno Vistas Social Club and many others have been held here. 50,000 people crammed in for the Enrique Iglesias gig back in 2011!

The Square, surrounded by 19th and 20th century architecture, is one of the city’s attractions. The large fountain and the beautiful buildings of past centuries make this place attractive. Hotels, restaurants and cafes are located around the Square. Here you can also visit the Batumi Circus and enjoy the magical sights. Europe Square is one of the most wonderful places in Batumi for relaxation and fun.

The Georgian alphabet is unique and is believed to date back to the 5th century. It underwent numerous changes before the modern version emerged. In 2012 a 426 foot tall tower with a twisting DNA helix shape was constructed, dedicated to the Georgian alphabet.

We chose to ride the elevator up, instead of taking a tram, today. The views were beautiful. It is our Anniversary today, so we enjoyed our outing just that much more!

Miracle Park
Lighthouse and Panoramic Wheel (the wheel wasn’t running).

Ali and Nino
The statue of Ali and Nino is a moving sculptural composition on Batumi Boulevard in Miracle Park, and is one of the attractions of Georgia’s Black Sea.

The 26-foot high, transparent, steel figures of a woman and a man, named Ali and Nino, move slowly to pass through each other and gradually become one. This process repeats every 10 minutes.
The sculpture was created by famous Georgian artist and sculptor Tamar Kvesitadze. The monument has got the name of the novel “Ali and Nino” by famous Azerbaijan writer Kurban Said. The novel “Ali and Nino” tells about the tragic love story of Azerbaijan Muslim Ali Shirvashir and Georgian Christian Nino Kipiani. The events written in the book happened during the First World War in the Caucasus. The statue of Ali and Nino was created in 2010 and represents a symbol of love, despite nationality or belief.

The Georgian Alphabet Tower

Time to hit the beach!

It is not sandy, but instead rocky. The weather was perfect. The water is very cold. We spent a few bucks for two chairs and an umbrella. We made a game over the incoming tide. We are easily entertained. By the third time of moving back from the incoming, tide, we decided to go.

It’s time for dinner. Back in our car to find a good place.

 It was easy to see our “home away from home” in Batumi, as we drive. Our room is brand new. We are the first guests. It was a studio with a washing machine, and under budget! Their restaurant was not open yet, so this was why the budget price.

*****
On this morning, it was time to depart Batumi, and travel further north.

But, before we would end the day in Kobuleti, we decided to try to find as many of the Medieval Stone Bridges we could find, while in the Adjara Region. It was like a treasure hunt of sorts, since the “maps” didn’t lead us directly to each one; but instead, to the nearby village or town. In the end, we were pleased with our “seeking” skills and loved visiting each bridge we found. It poured down rain all day, but we still had fun.

By the Middle Ages, Ajara, in the southwestern part of Georgia, formed part of a strong feudal kingdom and many roads and stone bridges were built during this period. The mountainous landscapes of Georgia, with its deep ravines and rivers, made the inhabitants of this region in need of ways to cross the rivers. For this reason, many bridges were built.

Locals chose narrow and easily accessible places to build bridges. From a technical point of view, the stone bridges were only arched, according to the parameters of the bridges: length, width, height; it depended on the type and importance of the transport. Sometimes the width was equal to the size of one Georgian carriage. Where it was not impossible to move a carriage, narrow bridges were built that could be used for pedestrians.
The number of stone arched bridges in Adjara was not exactly known, until recently.?At the moment, 28 arched bridges are registered in the list of Ajara cultural heritage and protection agencies.

The arched bridges were mainly located on the old trade-carriageway roads, connecting the old roads both the inland and the outer parts of the country. The diversity of roads and bridges, in a way, helped to establish new villages and settlements in the immediate area. Most of the bridges in Adjara have been reconstructed.
The beauty of Ajara’s medieval stone bridges makes them as significant as the mighty fortresses, monuments, and churches that are also spread around this historical region.

Dandalo Bridge in Keda District of Ajara is situated in the village of Dandalo, near the Batumi-Khulo Highway. Built of volcanic stone and lime in the 9th to 10th Century, the bridge is distinguished by its thin arch and perfect proportions.

Makho Bridge in Khelvachauri District in Ajara is built over  the River Makhostskali, in the village of Makho. The bridge has an oval shape that makes its design differerent from Dandalo Bridge, which has a sloped arch.

Makhuntseti Bridge in Keda District of Ajara is situated in the village of Makhuntset, 24 miles from the Batumi-Khulo Highway. The bridge is built of volcanic and lime stone, and is 64 feet long.
In addition, mountainous Ajara is full of beautiful and historic sites, including Makhuntseti Waterfall can be reached through the famous bridge of the “Queen Tamara,” which is also called the bridge Makhuntseti.

Chkheri Stone Bridge in Khelvachauri District of Ajara was built over the River Chkheristskali, in the village of Upper Chkhutuneti (Kakhieti) in the 9th to 10th Century. The bridge span is close to 19 feet long.

The  ♥️‘s  ⬆️  in the circled area were where I marked finding (roughly) arched bridges. It took all day, and was very fun!

Also seen during our day were these two sites.

*****

Our hotel stay in Kobuleti. We were the only guests. No WIFI, no breakfast available, and pool was closed. The owner gave us his phone to use as a hot spot, so I could work. That was very nice.