Batumi Cathedral of the Mother of God, Gothic Revival cathedral in central Batumi, Georgia.
The Batumi Cathedral of the Mother of God is a Gothic Revival church in the center of Batumi, Georgia, recognizable by its two tall bell towers. The building has a three-part interior layout and an exterior with pentagonal projections that give it a sharp, angular outline against the city skyline.
The building was put up between 1897 and 1902 by the Zubalashvili brothers as a memorial to their mother, and it was originally designed as a Catholic church. During Soviet rule it was taken out of religious use, and after that period it was returned to worship as an Orthodox space.
The cathedral was built as a Catholic church but is now used as a Georgian Orthodox place of worship. Visitors attending a service can notice how the interior has been adapted to Orthodox traditions, with icons and candles placed throughout the space.
The cathedral sits in the center of Batumi and is easy to reach on foot from most parts of the old town. Visitors are expected to dress modestly, and it is easier to look around outside of service hours.
During the Soviet period, the building was used first as a high-voltage laboratory and then as an archive before returning to religious use. These two very different functions left the space largely intact structurally, which is why the Gothic Revival shell visitors see today survived so well.
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