Adjara (Georgian:აჭარაAch’ara[at͡ʃʼara]ⓘ) orAchara, officially known as theAutonomous Republic of Adjara (Georgian:აჭარის ავტონომიური რესპუბლიკაAch’aris Avt’onomiuri Resp’ublik’a[atʃʼarisavtʼonomiurirespʼublikʼa]ⓘ), is a political-administrative region ofGeorgia. It is in the country's southwestern corner, on the coast of theBlack Sea, near the foot of theLesser Caucasus Mountains, north ofTurkey. It is an important tourist destination and includes Georgia's second most populous city ofBatumi as its capital. About 401,100 people live on its 2,880 km2 (1,110 sq mi).
TheOttomans conquered the area in 1614. Although, theOttoman millet system allowed its subjects extensive self-governance andreligious freedom, many Adjarians gradually chose to convert toIslam during the 200 years of Ottoman presence.[10][11] Despite this, the population never abandoned its native Georgian tongue and avoided demographic influence from the Ottomans.[12] Thenobility converted to Islam first.[13] Adjarians were fully Islamized by the end of the eighteenth century.[13]
The Ottomans were forced to cede Adjara to the expandingRussian Empire in 1878 under theTreaty of Berlin.[14] The Berlin Treaty allowedAdjarians to leave for Turkey, keeping a provision of Section 6, article 21 of theTreaty of San Stefano.[15][14] Many Adjarians emigrated to Turkey, and there was an influx of Christians fromKakheti, resulting in a change of the religious landscape.[15][14] While the Russian authorities supported theRussian Orthodox Church's missionary efforts, they also tried to win the loyalty of Adjarians by building mosques and madrassas and supporting the local Muslim clergy.[14] As a result, many Adjarians emigrants, calledMuhacir, came back to Adjara.[14] Within Russian imperial administrative division, Adjara was calledBatumi okrug, comprisingKutaisi Governorate.
In 1918, Georgia regained its independence as ademocratic republic and Adjara became part of it. However, in April 1918, theOttoman Empire invaded Georgia and captured Batumi. The operation was conducted on 13–14 April 1918, with the 37th Division entering Batumi under the command of ColonelKâzım Karabekir.[16]
On 4 June 1918, theTreaty of Batum was signed, under which Georgia was forced to cede Adjara to the Ottoman Empire.[17] However, due to the Ottoman defeat in the First World War and theTreaty of Mudros, the Ottomans soon withdrew the territory.[18] The British warshipHMS Liverpool) troops in entered Batumi in 1918,[19] and Adjara was temporarily placed under the British Military GovernorJames Cooke-Collis, who established the Council for the Administration of Batoum and its Region to administer the region in December 1918. The British withdrew in 1920 and Adjara rejoined theDemocratic Republic of Georgia.[20][21] The British administration ceded the region to theDemocratic Republic of Georgia on July 20, 1920.[22] It was granted autonomy under the Georgian constitution adopted in February 1921 when theRed Army invaded Georgia.[23] Turkey reinvaded Adjara in March 1921, although Georgians defeated Turks in theBattle of Batumi andAnkara's government ceded the territory to Georgia under Article VI ofTreaty of Kars on the condition that autonomy be provided for theMuslim population, while Turkish commodities were guaranteed free transit through the port ofBatumi.[24][25][26] The Soviets established in 1921 theAdjarian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic within theGeorgian Soviet Socialist Republic in accord with this clause, thus Adjara remained part of Georgia. The autonomous republic was the only autonomous unit in the USSR based solely on religion.[a][27] However, Stalin's definition of what constituted a nation was based on language. Without their own language, Adjars did not develop a strong sense of national identity, separate from Georgian.[28] Moreover, the Soviet atheist ideology dampened religious practice.[25] In the 1920s, the Ajars rebelled against the Soviet anti-Islamic activities, as well as against the collectivization reforms.[25] The armed uprising began in the mountainous regions of Adjara in April 1929. Soviet troops were deployed in response and swiftly quelled the revolt.[29]
After Georgian independence,Aslan Abashidze became the chairman of Adjaria's parliament, the Adjarian Supreme Soviet. Abashidze was initially appointed by the first Georgian president Zviad Gamsakhurdia in 1991.[30] However, he later took advantage of thecivil war in the country and turned Adjara into the personal fiefdom, although it remained relatively prosperous enclave in an otherwise rather chaotic country.[31] During the1991–1992 Georgian coup d'état which ousted Gamsakhurdia from power, Abashidze declared astate of emergency in Adjara, closing its borders and shutting down the Adjarian Supreme Soviet. In response to pressure from the Adjarian opposition led byRepublican Party of Georgia, Georgia's new leaderEduard Shevardnadze met Aslan Abashidze in Batumi and persuaded him to resume theSupreme Soviet sessions in May 1992. However, the opposition failed to oust Abashidze. While Shevardnadze could easily sway certain members of the Adjarian Supreme Soviet against Abashidze, he did not do so. Being brought to power through the coup launched by the militia leadersJaba Ioseliani andTengiz Kitovani, Shevardnadze saw Abashidze as a useful counterweight against these warlords.[32]
Further exploiting the instability, at this time brought by theWar in Abkhazia, Abashidze moved to further consolidate his power. During the summer of 1992, Abashidze appointed a seven-member Presidium of the Adjarian Supreme Soviet, made up of his supporters, and ruled by decree through this body. The Supreme Soviet, on the other hand, practically ceased to convene. Abashidze unilaterally took power without formal agreement and started to withhold tax revenue and capture Adjara's considerable wealth.[33][34] However, he managed to prevent various paramilitary groups from entering Adjara's territory, and preserved peace throughauthoritarianism, which brought him considerable popularity.[32]
After the end of Georgia's civil war, Abashidze reached agreement with the Georgian presidentEduard Shevardnadze to stay in power.[31] Shevardnadze, who had yet to cement his power in Georgia, ignored Abashidze's authoritarian rule and even appreciated that it brought stability to the region.[32] The central government in Tbilisi had very little say in what went on in Adjara. Elections in Adjara were notfree and fair,Abashidze controlled the media and captured customs revenue for his personal enrichment.[35][36] Abashidze instituted border control with the rest of Georgia and created armed paramilitaries.[37] However, he asserted that Adjara wasn't separatist.[33][38] Adjara is the only autonomous region in theSouthern Caucasus which has not been involved in the secessionist conflict with the central government since thedissolution of the Soviet Union. WhileAdjarians, a subgroup ofethnic Georgians, adoptedIslam during the centuries ofOttoman imperial rule over Adjara, which differentiated them from the rest of Georgian subethnicities who adhere toOrthodox Christianity, Adjarians at the same time retained many cultural similarities with Christian Georgians and never developed a separate "Adjarian identity", remaining accepted within the definition of Georgian nation. This provided insufficient base for a strongnationalist or excessivelyregionalist movement in Adjara. Moreover, a considerable power and resources allowed Abashidze to politically and financially establish a national political role throughout whole Georgia, and the Union for the Revival took part in thenationwide Georgian elections.[39]
Abashidze's regime survived on receiving funds from the customs control inSarpi atGeorgia–Turkey border, contraband of cigarettes and allegedly also weapons and narcotics, an oil refinery in Batumi and selling of ships stationed in Adjara without Georgian government's approval.[40] Even thoughShevardnadze often complained about Abashidze's aggressive autonomous strategy, they had good relationships and supported each other when they needed public support.[35][41] Initially Abashidze'sDemocratic Union for Revival and Shevardnadze'sUnion of Citizens of Georgia worked together inGeorgian Parliament and Adjarian Supreme Council following new elections in 1995–1996. However, a series of disputes with UCG in 1997 concerning limits of Abashidze's power in Adjara and defections of his party deputies to UCG led Abashidze to view the UCG and especially its 'reformists' faction with suspicions and he withdrew into opposition, establishing a powerful anti-CUG bloc which took part in the1999 Georgian parliamentary election and garnered around 25 per cent of the vote.[42]
In 2000, by withdrawing his candidacy from thepresidential elections in Georgia, Abashidze managed to getShevardnadze to change Georgian constitution to increase Adjara's status. From 1997 to 2001, Abashidze passed several amendments to Adjara's constitution to strengthen his power. He established the post of a directly elected Head of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara with powers to control any movement of military on Adjara's territory, and was elected on this position in November 2001 while being the only candidate.[43]
The situation changed following theRose Revolution of 2003 when Shevardnadze was deposed in favor of the reformist opposition leaderMikheil Saakashvili.[44] Adjaran leaderAslan Abashidze, being in strong opposition to theRose Revolution, declared a state of emergency immediately afterEduard Shevardnadze's ousting on 23 November 2003.[46] He intensified a crackdown on opposition, with dozens being injured as a result of clashes between protesters and police in the southern Adjaran village ofGonio in January 2004.[47] Soon after his inauguration as president in January 2004, Saakashvili took aim at Abashidze with stronganticorruption reforms.[48][49] In the wake of Abashidze's visit toMoscow, theRussian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on January 20 backing Abashidze's policy and condemning his opposition as "extremist forces".[50] In spring 2004, a majorcrisis in Adjara erupted as the central government sought to reimpose its authority on the region. It led to several encounters between Abashidze's paramilitaries and theGeorgian army.[51] However, Saakashvili's ultimate and mass protests inBatumi against Abashidze's autocratic rule forced the Adjaran leader to resign in May 2004. Facing charges ofembezzlement and murder, Abashidze destroyed the bridges between Adjara and the rest of Georgia to delay the advance of Georgian troops in Batumi and then fled to Moscow.[51] Even Abashidze's former ally, Haji Mahmud Kamashidze, sided with Saakashvili.[51]Saakashvili wanted Adjara to keep a significant autonomy.[52] A new law was therefore introduced to redefine the terms of Adjara's autonomy.Levan Varshalomidze succeeded Abashidze as the chairman of the government.[53]
In July 2007, the seat of theGeorgian Constitutional Court was moved from Tbilisi to Batumi.[54] In November 2007 Russia ended its two-century military presence in the region by withdrawing from the12th Military Base (the former 145th Motor Rifle Division) in Batumi.[55][56]
Turkey still has noticeable economic and religious influence in Adjara, making some Georgians wary of the Turkish presence.[57][58][59] In the early 2020s, Turkish influence was again supplanted by the Russians, who returned to the region in large numbers, also causing anxiety among some locals.[60]
Logo of the Cabinet of Ministers.Government building inBatumi.
The status of the Adjaran Autonomous Republic is defined by Georgia's law on Adjara and the region's new constitution, adopted following the ousting of Aslan Abashidze. The local legislative body is theSupreme Council. The head of the region's government—the Council of Ministers of Adjara—is nominated by thePresident of Georgia who also has powers to dissolve the assembly and government and to overrule local authorities on issues where the constitution of Georgia is contravened.Tornike Rizhvadze was head of the Adjaran government until 2025.[61] In April 2025 the Supreme Council approved Sulkhan Tamazashvili as head of the Adjaran government.[62]
Adjara is on the southeastern coast of theBlack Sea and extends into the wooded foothills and mountains of theLesser Caucasus. It has borders with the region ofGuria to the north,Samtskhe-Javakheti to the east and Turkey to the south. Most of Adjara's territory either consists of hills or mountains. The highest mountains rise more than 3,000 meters (9,800 feet)above sea level. Around 60% of Adjara is covered by forests. Many parts of theMeskheti Range (the west-facing slopes) are covered bytemperate rain forests.
Adjara is traversed by the northeasterly line of equal latitude and longitude.
Adjara is well known for its humid climate (especially along the coastal regions) and prolonged rainy weather, although there is plentiful sunshine during the spring and summer months. Adjara receives the highest amounts of precipitation both inGeorgia and in theCaucasus. It is also one of the wettest temperate regions in theNorthern Hemisphere. No region along Adjara's coast receives less than 2,200 mm (86.6 in) of precipitation per year. The west-facing (windward) slopes of theMeskheti Range receive upwards of 4,500 mm (177.2 in) of precipitation per year. The coastal lowlands receive most of the precipitation in the form of rain (due to the area's subtropical climate). September and October are usually the wettest months. Batumi's average monthly rainfall for the month of September is 410 mm (16.14 in). The interior parts of Adjara are considerably drier than the coastal mountains and lowlands. Winter usually brings significant snowfall to the higher regions of Adjara, where snowfall often reaches several meters. Average summer temperatures are between 22 and 24 °C (72 and 75 °F) in the lowland areas and between 17 and 21 °C (63 and 70 °F) in the highlands. The highest areas of Adjara have lower temperatures. Average winter temperatures are between 4 and 6 °C (39 and 43 °F) along the coast while the interior areas and mountains average around −3 to 2 °C (27 to 36 °F). Some of the highest mountains of Adjara have average winter temperatures of −8 to −7 °C (18 to 19 °F).
Adjara has good land for growing tea, citrus fruits and tobacco. Mountainous and forested, the region has a subtropical climate, and there are many health resorts.Tobacco, tea, citrus fruits, and avocados are leading crops; livestock raising is also important. Industries include tea packing, tobacco processing, fruit and fish canning, oil refining, and shipbuilding.[65]
The regional capital,Batumi, is an important gateway for the shipment of goods heading into Georgia,Azerbaijan and landlockedArmenia. The port of Batumi is used for the shipment of oil fromKazakhstan andTurkmenistan.[66] Its oil refinery handlesCaspian oil from Azerbaijan which arrives by pipeline toSupsa port and is transported from there to Batumi by rail. The Adjaran capital is a center for shipbuilding and manufacturing.[67]
Adjara is the main center of Georgia's coastal tourism industry, having displaced the northwestern province ofAbkhazia since that region'sde facto secession from Georgia in 1993.[68]
According to 2021 data, the gross domestic product of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara was 4.86 billion GEL (9.3% of Georgia’s GDP).[69]
TheAdjarians (Ajars) are an ethnographic group of theGeorgian people who speak a group of local dialects known collectively asAdjarian. The written language isGeorgian.[71] Adjarians have been known as "Muslim Georgians".[72] They were officially referred as such until the 1926 Sovietcensus which listed them as "Ajars" and counted 71,000 of them. Later, they were simply classified under a broader category of Georgians as no official Soviet census asked about religion.[73] In independent Georgia, censuses do not include an "Adjarian" category, nor do they distinguish between ethnic Georgian Muslims and other Muslims, such asAzerbaijanis.[74]
After Adjara was ceded to theRussian Empire in 1878 under theTreaty of Berlin, thoseAdjarians who were Muslim were allowed to leave for Turkey.[15] While the Russian authorities supported theRussian Orthodox Church's missionary efforts, they also tried to win the loyalty of Adjarians by building mosques and madrassas and supporting the local Muslim clergy.[14] As a result, many Adjarians emigrants, calledMuhacir, came back to Adjara.[14]
Although Adjara's political and religious autonomy was guaranteed by the 1921Treaty of Kars,[25][24] theSoviet atheist ideology dampened religious practice in the region.[25] After Adjara was ceded to the Russian Empire in 1878 under theTreaty of Berlin, Adjarians, who were Muslims, were allowed to leave for Turkey.[15] This was followed by an influx of Christians fromKakheti, resulting in a change of the religious landscape.[15]
Selimoba is held in the village of Bako,Khulo Municipality on June 3 and commemorates the life ofSelim Khimshiashvili. A concert with the participation of local amateur groups of a folk handicraft products exhibition is held during the festival. It is supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports of Adjara.[85]
Shuamtoba ("inter-mountain festival") is a traditional festival, which is held on the summer mountain pastures of two municipalities (Khulo andShuakhevi), during the first weekend of every August. Horse racing, a folk handicraft exhibition and a concert involving folk ensembles are held as well.[86]
Machakhloba is a Machakhela gorge festivity, held in the second half of September. It is a traditional holiday celebrated in Machakhela gorge,Khelvachauri Municipality. The festival begins at the Machakhela rifle monument (at the point of convergence of the riversMachakhelistskali andChorokhi), continues in the village Machakhlispiri and ends in the village Zeda Chkhutuneti.[87]
^"Georgians Wary of Turkey's Rising Influence in Batumi". Eurasianet. 9 March 2017.While the government does not release figures on the levels of Turkish investment in Ajara, it represents roughly 80–90 percent of the total foreign investment in the region, a former regional government official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
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