Sunny Ajara...the region has always been referred to in this way, despite its frequent rains.

But the expression “sunny” does not always imply weather. It has a broader connotation implying hospitality, openness and generosity of the people living in this part of Georgia. Beginning with the ancient Greeks, everyone has been charmed by this wonderful corner of the world.

As soon as you leave the Guria province and proceed to Kobuleti, your heart starts beating in a different way.  Sensing the nearing sea, your expectations peak when the extraordinary land opens before you.  A beautiful, serpentine road leads to a blue and boundless sea, a dream world and a delight to everyone.

Ajara begins with the mountainous villages of Khulo and Keda and extends down to the sea. One of the most picturesque parts of Georgia, it is located between the Chorokhi and Cholokhi rivers on the south-east coast of the Black Sea.

Archaeological materials excavated in Batumi and its surrounding area prove that civilisation on this territory can be traced back to the turn of the second and first millennia BC. The ancient Greeks called the area “Bathus”, a name first found in Aristotle’s works.
 

Later, Assyrian Fathers began preaching Christianity from here.

Ajara and Batumi - these two words have always been associated with the notions of warmth and friendship.... Every Georgian in some way is connected with Batumi.  You can often hear the phrases   “started in Batumi”, “met in Batumi”, or “learned in Batumi”, implying that many of life’s important events are associated with this lovely town.

Batumi is the heart and soul of Georgia. Everywhere in this famous port, friendly and happy faces greet you, the sun shines, ship horns sound loudly in the distance, and sailors swagger along its streets.

Tsikhisdziri, where the ancient fortress Petra and Queen Tamar’s castle are situated, neighbours Batumi. The fortress was built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in 542-562, during the time of the Byzantine-Persian war.  Here is also Elijah’s Fortress and the oldest domed bridges on the river Kintrishi.

This land is filled with memories and relics of bygone days.

This land remembers the onslaughts and violence of alien tribes, its many plunders and vandalism.
 

Here the Georgian land was divided into two parts under of the agreement with the Turks.  Villages were cut in half by the state border,  separating neighbours, families, fathers and children.

This land remembers the prayers of the people, the cries of despair and the torrents of tears.  It still remembers the roaring of the cannons, the bloodshed and brave fighting for every inch of land, and then, the sweet and divine feeling of returning to the motherland.

This land remembers different kinds of tears as well, perhaps more bitter than those shed during previous invasions. It remembers the white ships slowly leaving the shore, carrying away our souls, the best we have ever had, leaving the country for good, to be lost forever in an alien land.  This is how the Georgian Mensheviks left the country, departing Batumi together with the last groups of defenders of the first independent Republic of Georgia.  The 11th Red Army was entering.
 

This land remembers the last long sound of the ship’s horn, as if mourning for the loss of freedom, killed at sea, and the people, courageously swimming back to their native shores, where only darkness and complete despair were awaiting them.

This land stores a lot of memories. It remembers delightful, happy times of spotless white uniforms and English spoken in the streets, music and colourful banners flying, planes and trains loaded with cargo. All this remains in its memory.

Today too  the ships sound the horn in Batumi, but they are now carrying cargo to and from foreign countries. Trade and business flourish here, attracting many people interested in various ventures and activities, as well as rest. Festivals and premier shows are held here, many with great success. Foreign guests visit and return home with unforgettable impressions.

The Ajarian “khachapuri” (cheese pie) is baked non-stop here, together with another local speciality, “achma”. The popular four-voiced folk song “Elisa”, which in former times was sung while clearing land, is now heard everywhere. One can also hear a ballad about the national hero Sologha, chanted under the pipe.  The Ajarian pageant, Phatiko, is also often performed.

Batumi is a wonderful town.

But Ajara is not Batumi only. It embraces a vast, fertile land, rich with “gorges and vineyards, orchards and subtropical gardens of tangerines and oranges, olives and pomegranates growing in abundance under the favourable climate”, the famous Georgian historian, Prince Vakhushti wrote. People living here have always been industrious, and the citrus and tea, grown by them, are still successfully exported to many foreign countries.

Ajarians respect traditions. Here one of the benefits of marriage was   obtaining in-laws, both morally and economically supportive of each other. The “envoys”, coming for the engagement, would leave a token for the future bride, usually a golden coin.

The birth of a son was always a great celebration in an Ajarian family. On this remarkable day they would cook a rice stew.  But if the baby was a girl, they would make porridge. Yet women had important roles in the mountainous regions, as leaders in managing family life.

The Ajarian folk costume is of very special design. But the national costume was not necessary for identifying an Ajarian.  You could instantly recognise them by their characteristic features. To Iakob Gogebashvili, the renowned Georgian man of letters, “Ajarians are agile, life-loving and courageous people. They are famous for their shooting skills. Apart from this, their moral qualities such as respect for the elderly, hospitality, politeness, courtesy, curiosity and hard work are their main characteristic features”.

Summer is at hand...Batumi is already crowded with visitors on business, as is Sarphi.

Soon all of Georgia will head for Ajara to spend the summer at the seaside. Foreigners will also visit the place. It is hard to imagine how the coasts of Chakvi and Kobuleti, or the beautiful Batumi boulevard, or the pure waters of the sea in Sarphi can host so many people. Yet Ajara will embrace everyone, will bestow warmth and attention on everybody.  In return for its generosity, it will expect only love from its visitors.

EKA KEVANISHVILI
photo by MIRIAN KILADZE