Ali and Nino
Tamara Kvesitadze's 8-metre moving steel statue on Batumi's seafront — every evening the two figures merge and pass through each other.
- Time needed
- 0.5 h
- From Tbilisi
- 375 km · 5:30
- Road
- Paved
- Car needed
- Economy class
- Season
- All year
- Entry
- free
This may be the only statue in Georgia that people wait for on a schedule. Tamara Kvesitadze's 8-metre kinetic sculpture stands on Batumi's seafront near Miracle Park: two segmented steel figures, a man and a woman, glide slowly towards each other, merge into one silhouette and then pass through one another without ever touching. A full cycle takes about 8-10 minutes.
Installed in 2010 and originally titled "Man and Woman", the piece was later renamed after the heroes of Kurban Said's 1937 novel — Ali, an Azerbaijani Muslim, and Nino, a Georgian Christian, lovers separated by war. In the novel the love story ends in tragedy; in the sculpture the figures are condemned to meet and part forever.
The movement starts every evening at 19:00, and in season the cycle often repeats later into the night. After dark the figures glow with shifting coloured light, and the moment of merging is at its most dramatic — so aim for dusk or later. The Alphabetic Tower stands next door, which makes Ali and Nino the natural finale of an evening walk along the Boulevard.
Practical advice
Check the timing locally — the movement traditionally starts at 19:00, with repeat cycles through summer evenings. One full cycle takes up to 10 minutes, so there is no need to arrive early. The best photo angle is from the side, with the sea behind the figures. You are on the Boulevard, so watch for bikes and scooters streaming past. Free to see; toilets and cafes are along the Boulevard.
How to get there from Tbilisi
From Tbilisi follow the E60/S1 highway west through the Rikoti tunnels, past the Kutaisi bypass and down the coast through Kobuleti — about 375 km and 5:30 of driving, asphalt all the way, with fuel available throughout. In Batumi the statue stands at the northern end of the seafront near Miracle Park; use the Alphabetic Tower as your landmark. Park in the paid lots around the park or on nearby streets — allow a few extra minutes in the evening rush. An economy car is entirely sufficient.
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Nearby places
Alphabetic Tower and Miracle Park
A 130-metre double helix carrying the Georgian alphabet, with Batumi's best sculpture standing at its foot.
Batumi Boulevard and Old Town
A seven-kilometre seafront promenade, a nineteenth-century old quarter and modern towers in one compact city.
Batumi Piazza
An Italian-style square in Old Batumi — a giant marble mosaic, stained glass, cafes and free summer-evening concerts.
Best car for this trip
Guides
- Driving in Georgia: What the Distances Actually Cost You Georgia is a small country with slow roads. Here is what 267 measured drives from Tbilisi say about how long y
Pickup locations
Car Rental in Batumi — 1 km (straight line)