“Orta Jame” in Batumi
N6, Chkalovi str. / N33, Kutaisi str., Batumi
The central mosque of Adjara was built in 1866. It was called “Orta Jame” (middle mosque) since it was located between two mosques – “Azizie” and “Muftie”.
This is a rectangular large building with a high Minaret and a large gilded dome in the middle part. The facades plastered and painted with white paint are simple, have rectangular windows with profiled frames and flat gables. Half-moons are expressed above the round windows. The entrance door on the east wall (on the side of Chkalovi Street) has rich decorations. It has pilasters and a high helmet-like arch, which has a round window. The windows are arranged on the facades in two layers, but the inside space is unified; only Minbar gallery is built into it. The wooden joist roof leans on four round columns; the dome made with wooden beams is arranged in the middle part. The ceiling, dome and Minbar railings are adorned with colourful decorative paintings. “Orta Jame” is one of the oldest buildings in Batumi, which was built in the Ottoman period. The building is an example of the Late Ottoman provincial architecture and the building with its eye-catching elements – Minaret and dome, significantly contributed to the development of the multi-cultural urban environment of Batumi.
