Europe Square and the Medea Statue

About this place

Batumi's main square, in the centre of the city, is ringed by elegant buildings whose facades have been restored in a nineteenth-century European style, with towers and ornate balconies, and has fountains and small gardens. Concerts and celebrations are held here, and people gather in the evenings. At its centre stands the statue of Medea, the Colchian princess of Greek myth, on a tall column holding up the Golden Fleece, which Jason and the Argonauts came to this land to take, according to the legend. It was designed by the artist Davit Khmaladze, unveiled in July 2007, and has become one of the city's best-known landmarks. On the facade of the former National Bank building overlooking the square is a large astronomical clock showing the time, the positions of the sun, the moon and some planets, and the times of sunrise and sunset. The old town's streets of cafés and restaurants branch off from the square. The square is free and always open. It is loveliest in the evening when the buildings and statue are lit, and fits into a walk with the old mosque, the boulevard and nearby Piazza.