Batumi, Chkalov Street No. 6 / Kutaisi Street No. 33
Brief description of the monument:
The Central Mosque of Adjara, also known as (Orta Jame) (Middle Mosque), was built in 1866. It is named (Orta Jame) because it was located between two other mosques: (Azizie) and (Muftiye.)
The mosque is a large building with a rectangular plan, featuring a tall minaret at one corner and a large gilded dome at the center. The façade is plastered and painted white, with a simple and elegant design. It is divided by rectangular windows, each framed with profiled moldings and topped with flat pediments. On the longer façades, rectangular windows alternate with circular windows, above which are displayed half-moon shapes.
The eastern façade (facing Chkalov Street) is more richly decorated, with a doorway flanked by pilasters and topped with a high, helmet-like arch. A round window is placed within the arch’s tympanum. The windows on the façades are arranged in two tiers, but the interior space is unified, with only the minbar gallery added within. The roof, made of wooden beams, rests on four free-standing, round columns. The central section is topped with a dome supported by wooden beams.
The ceiling, dome, minbar, and the railing of the pulpit are covered with colorful decorative paintings.
The (Orta Jame) mosque is one of Batumi s oldest buildings, constructed during the Ottoman period. It is a prime example of late Ottoman provincial architecture, and with its striking elements—minaret and dome—it plays a significant role in the creation of Batumi’s multicultural urban environment.
