Alphabet Tower in Batumi

Alphabet Tower in Batumi is a symbolic monument in honor of the ancient Georgian written language. The attraction rises in the popular Park of Miracles, on the city embankment of the capital of Adjara. Panoramic elevators take tourists to the top of the tower, where an observation gallery, a photo exhibition “Old Batumi”, a restaurant and a bar are located. In tourist guides to Batumi, the structure is also called Alphabet Tower or Alphabet Tower.

.

Video: Alphabet Tower in Batumi

Contents

Highlights

The Alphabet Tower in Batumi was designed by famous Spanish architect and engineer Alberto Domingo Cabo, who has built several notable buildings in Georgia, including the famous glass domed parliament building in Kutaisi, which symbolizes the transparency of the work of the country’s legislature.

Working on the project of the Alphabet Tower in Batumi, the Spanish architect, true to his commitment to symbolism, was inspired by the graphic representation of the biological structure of DNA. The appearance of the structure captures the artistic image of the stylized genome of the Georgian nation, proud of its distinctive written language. By the way, UNESCO experts included the unique Georgian alphabet in the lists of intangible cultural heritage of humanity. This unique alphabet has been known since the 5th century, and for the past 1500 years it has not undergone any special changes. According to scientists, it dates back to ancient Greek or even older Aramaic or Phoenician writing.

The Batumi Alphabet Tower is designed as a 130-meter openwork cylindrical structure wrapped with two spiral ribbons alluding to a recognizable image of the DNA structure. The ribbons feature three-dimensional images of the 33 letters of the Georgian alphabet, made of polished aluminum.

The tower’s mesh shell creates the least wind resistance, yet it is strong enough to give the structure the necessary rigidity. The tower is crowned by a glass sphere with a diameter of 30 meters. The surface of the sphere is made of triangular sections of greenish tinted glass. In the center of the structure there are tubular steel trusses with elevator shafts, in which electrical cables, water pipes and other engineering communications are hidden.

.

The basement has a lobby with ticket offices and exits to elevators that take tourists to the glass sphere. Its interior space is divided into 4 levels. On one of them there is a kitchen, above there are a restaurant and a cafe, designed to accommodate up to 120 guests. The menu includes Georgian and Mediterranean dishes: kebabs, kharcho and khachapuri, lamb croquettes, risotto with beef loin, chicken under truffle sauce, king prawns, grilled salmon fillet and other delicacies. Fine Georgian wines are served to the feast. The check for dinner for two people will be from 150 lari (a little over $57).

.

Under the restaurant premises there are 40 rollers with silent electric motors that provide slow rotation of the floor. Within an hour, the mechanism makes a full revolution, allowing diners sitting at restaurant tables to view the capital of Adjara over lunch.

.

Above the restaurant there is a 250 m² circular panoramic gallery, from where you can see the expanse of the Black Sea, the port of Batumi and the misty silhouettes of the Caucasus Mountains.

.

A massive counterweight pendulum is suspended on the fourth level of the tower. This element counteracts the oscillations of the structure in case of strong wind or earthquake.

.

In the evenings, the Alphabet Tower shines spectacularly with multicolored lights, LED lighting highlights the letters on the shiny steel bands. The impressive silhouette of the tower, built in 2011, has already become familiar in the panorama of notable new buildings of ancient Batumi.

.

Practical information

A visit to the Alphabet Tower will cost 20 GEL ($7.68). Payment is accepted by cash and bank cards. Entrance to the elevators is available from 11:00 to 23:45.

.

Tourists note that in the evening tinted glazing of the observation gallery prevents the view of the city and photography: the glass, as if in a mirror, reflects only the interior of the observation deck, and it is impossible to open the sealed frames. Those wishing to admire the beautiful city from above, travelers advise to come here before dusk.

.

In 300 meters south of the tower “Alphabet”, at the entrance to the central boulevard of the park, there is a newly built luxury hotel Le Meridien Batumi 5 *. The original high-rise building forms a single architectural ensemble with the Alphabet Tower. At the level of the 27th floor an unusual Ferris wheel is built into the futuristic building of the hotel. Eight spherical cabins rotate around a horizontal axis, providing a beautiful view of the neighboring Alphabet Tower, the surrounding park and the sea promenade. Le Meridien Batumi features swimming pools and a fitness club, bars, a restaurant and a lobby with an outdoor veranda. The hotel has a business center and a casino. The range of prices for accommodation is 137-285 € per night, deluxe rooms cost from 490 €.

.

How to get there

The Alphabet Tower in Batumi is located on the pedestrianized seaside promenade, north of the Old Town. The attraction can be reached by municipal buses No. 1, 2, 4, 10 or 15. It is necessary to get off at the stop “Dramatheater” and walk a bit along the alleys of the Park of Miracles.

.