Batumi, Georgia’s maritime gateway, boasts a long and rich history. In the Late Middle Ages, the city fell under Turkish control, and became part of the Ottoman Empire, a status it retained until 1878, when it was taken over by the Russian Empire. During the final years of Ottoman rule, Batumi was home to a diverse, multiethnic population, including a sizeable Orthodox Christian community that was primarily made up of Greeks. Between 1865 and 1871, this community built a church in their neighbourhood that was dedicated to St Nicholas, located at the present-day intersection of King Parnavaz and Zviad Gamsakhurdia streets.