Adjara Museum Initiative, Batumi

Adjara Museum Initiative was established in 2018 in order to preserve and popularize the history and culture of Georgia’s Adjara Region. The program currently incorporates four museums in the city: Adjara Museum of Art, Nobel Brothers Batumi Technological Museum, Khariton Akhvlediani Ajara State Museum and Batumi Archaeological Museum.

Adjara Museum of Art

One of the main exhibition halls in Batumi, Adjara Museum of Art highlights the work of Georgian and international artists through a variety of permanent exhibitions, temporary displays and cultural and educational programs for all ages. Since opening in 1998, it has showcased a solid collection of late 19^th- early 21^st century local paintings, including artwork by Niko Pirosmani, Gigo Gabashvili, Davit Kakabadze, Lado Gudiashvili and Elene Akhvlediani. The museum has hosted the works of world-famous people, including Pablo Picasso and Knut Hamsun’s “Journey to Georgia”, as well as samples of Georgian textiles and decorative art. Adjara Museum of Art is just the place to discover the talent of Georgian artists!

Nobel Brothers Batumi Technological Museum

Nobel Brothers Batumi Technological Museum opened in 2007 in the charming house where the famous brothers once lived and worked. Museum exhibits detail the economic history of Batumi, including the development of the oil industry in Batumi made possible by the efforts of the Nobel brothers and oil tycoons Baron Rothschild and Alexander Mantashev. The achievements in Batumi of Chinese tea expert Lao Jin-Zhao and the development of the local tobacco and wine industries are highlighted on the second floor. Particularly interesting to visitors are the historic grounds themselves and the museum’s rare collection of 19^th-century photos. To explore fascinating and little-known stories about foreign investors in Georgia, a visit to Nobel Brothers Batumi Technological Museum is a must.

Khariton Akhvlediani Adjara State Museum

Khariton Akhvlediani Adjara State Museum remains popular with history buffs, for it contains more than 180 thousand unique exhibits which focus on the region’s archaeology, ethnography, history and nature from ancient times up until the present. Highlights include the many unique archaeological findings dated to the 12^th-10^th centuries BC and the 65 thousand printed books and magazines in the scientific library, including rare works in multiple languages. Special activities sponsored by Khariton Akhvlediani Adjara State Museum include cultural and scientific research, educational programs and even national treasure hunts, all of which help to garner interest in the museum’s rich collections. 

Batumi Archaeological Museum

Batumi Archeological Museum was founded in 1994 in order to preserve the historical treasures discovered across Adjara Region and to share them with the public. Special features of the museum include a permanent exhibition which traces the development of Georgia from its earliest years up until the Middle Ages and items which once belonged to the ancient Colchian tribes. The real highlight, however, is Gonio Buried Treasure, which contains a number of rare items from the ancient Roman world. In addition to the exhibits, the campus includes a restoration laboratory, archive, scientific library and a ceramic workshop. Archaeological expeditions which are carried out jointly by Batumi Archeological Museum and Oxford University continue to enrich the museum’s ever-expanding collections.