# Ali and Nino statue, Batumi > Ali and Nino is a moving steel sculpture by Tamara Kvesitadze on Batumi’s seafront, by the Alphabetic Tower: two 8-metre figures, a man and a woman, meet, pass through each other and part. It is free and open around the clock, but the figures move only in the evening — from 19:00, each cycle about 10 minutes. Allow 20–30 minutes. Web page: https://yesgo.io/georgia/batumi/ali-and-nino - City: [Batumi](https://yesgo.io/georgia/batumi), Georgia - YesGo score: 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 30 min - Opening hours: Open 24/7, free; the figures move every evening from 19:00, one cycle ≈ 10 minutes - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free — open seafront, any time of day - When it moves: Every evening from 19:00 - One cycle: ≈ 10 minutes: approach, merge, part - Stoppages: Start times sometimes shift and the mechanism stops for maintenance (unofficial) - Height: 8 m per figure - Location: Batumi Boulevard, Miracle Park, by the Alphabetic Tower - Walk from Europe Square: ≈ 15 minutes, about 1 km - From the airport: Taxi 15–20 minutes, or city bus 10 - Coordinates: 41.65558, 41.64307 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **8 m** — height of each of the two figures (source: Georgian National Tourism Administration; Wikidata Q20587589; Ajara tourism portal (Calvert Journal gives 7 m)) - **≈ 10 minutes** — for a full cycle — the figures approach, merge and part (source: Georgian National Tourism Administration; English and Russian Wikipedia) - **From 19:00** — the figures start moving every evening (source: Georgian National Tourism Administration; English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Tamara Kvesitadze** — the Georgian artist who made it (source: Georgian National Tourism Administration; English and Russian Wikipedia) - **2007** — first shown at the Venice Biennale as “Man and Woman” (source: Russian Wikipedia; Emerging Europe) - **2010–2011** — installed on the Batumi seafront — sources give different years (source: English Wikipedia and georgia.to: 2010; Russian Wikipedia and Calvert Journal: 2011) - **≈ 50 m** — how far it was moved inland in 2015; one figure was damaged in the move and repaired (source: English Wikipedia; Calvert Journal, 16.09.2015) - **Steel** — the figures are stacked plates with gaps, so they look see-through by day (source: Russian Wikipedia; Calvert Journal) - **1937** — Kurban Said’s novel Ali and Nino, which gave the statue its nickname, was published (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) - **Neon** — coloured lights come on around the statue in the evening (source: English and Russian Wikipedia) ## What time does the Ali and Nino statue move? The figures move **every evening from 19:00**, according to the Georgian National Tourism Administration, and the lights come on at the same time. One full cycle takes **about 10 minutes**: the man and the woman circle slowly towards each other, merge into a single shape for a moment, then pull apart — and it starts again. Because the cycle repeats, you don’t need to be there on the dot. Arrive any time after seven and wait for the next approach; the best moment is when the steel plates of one figure slide through the gaps in the other. In summer it is still bright at 19:00 and the colours barely show. For movement and lights together, come after sunset — around 21:00 in July; in autumn it is already dark by seven. > **By day the figures stand still** Come in daylight and you’ll find two motionless figures — striking, but not the show. Start times occasionally shift and the mechanism is sometimes stopped for maintenance; if nothing moves after 19:00, give it 10–15 minutes before giving up. ## Where is the Ali and Nino statue? It stands at the northern end of **Batumi Boulevard**, in Miracle Park right by the water, next to the Alphabetic Tower and the Ferris wheel, close to the sea passenger terminal and the port. It is part of the open seafront: no fence, no gate, no ticket desk. You can’t miss the landmark — the tall Alphabetic Tower, wrapped in the letters of the Georgian alphabet. The sculpture is a few steps from its base, towards the sea. There is no street number; search maps for “Ali and Nino”. ## Is it free, and is it worth it? Yes, it is **free** and there is nothing to book or pay for. Worth it? In the evening, yes: watching two 8-metre steel figures pass through each other under coloured lights is genuinely memorable, and it costs you half an hour on a walk you’d probably take anyway. Don’t cross town for it in the middle of the day. Static, in daylight, the figures hold your attention for five minutes. Treat the statue as the finale of an evening along the [seafront boulevard](https://yesgo.io/georgia/batumi/batumi-boulevard), not as a stand-alone outing. ## The story behind Ali and Nino Georgian artist **Tamara Kvesitadze** spent around two years on the piece and showed it at the 2007 Venice Biennale under the title “Man and Woman”; it was later exhibited in London. It reached Batumi’s seafront in 2010 — some sources say 2011 — and that is still its official name. Batumi renamed it after *Ali and Nino*, the 1937 novel published under the pseudonym Kurban Said, whose real identity is still debated. Set in Baku in 1918–1920, it follows Ali Khan Shirvanshir, a Muslim Azerbaijani, and Nino Kipiani, a Christian Georgian princess, through war and revolution to an unhappy end. The artist never meant the work as an illustration of the book; she has said it is about how “being together is possible for only a little time.” The statue first stood closer to the water. After a 2015 storm damaged its base it was moved about 50 metres inland, towards the Ferris wheel; one figure fell during the move and was repaired, and the sculpture was back on display that autumn. ## What to see and how to film it - **One full cycle** — stand to the side rather than on the sea side, so you see the figures close in and slide through each other. - **The lights after dark** — the neon shifts colour and changes the whole look of the steel. - **Video** — film the full 10 minutes from one spot or use time-lapse; the movement is too slow for a short clip. - **By day** — the gaps between the plates make the figures look transparent against the sky. - **The Alphabetic Tower** and Ferris wheel, which fit in the same frame. - **Sunset over the sea** — the seafront faces west, and the sun drops straight into the water. ## How to get to the Ali and Nino statue 1. From [Europe Square](https://yesgo.io/georgia/batumi/batumi-europe-square), walk north towards the sea — about 5 minutes to the seafront. 2. Turn right along the water and head for the Alphabetic Tower and the Ferris wheel, both visible from far off. 3. The statue is by the water next to the tower — about 15 minutes in all. 4. From Batumi Airport, a taxi takes 15–20 minutes; city bus 10 also runs to the centre. Pay on the bus with a contactless bank card (foreign cards work) or a Batumi Card transport card — cash may not be accepted. 5. For a taxi, use a ride-hailing app — you see the fare before you ride, no haggling. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Going after 19:00, when the figures move - [ ] In summer, after sunset to catch the lights - [ ] Allowed 20–30 minutes to watch a full cycle - [ ] Phone charged — a full cycle is 10 minutes of video - [ ] A light jacket — it gets windy by the sea at night - [ ] Contactless card for the bus, or a taxi app ## Ali and Nino vs the Dancing Fountains vs the Argo cable car | | Ali and Nino | Dancing Fountains | Argo cable car | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | Moving sculpture by the sea | Evening water, light and music show | Ride up the hill above the city | | Cost | Free | Free | Paid | | Best time | After 19:00, after dark | Evening, in season | Daytime or sunset | | Time needed | 20–30 min | 30–40 min | 1–1.5 h | | Why go | The movement and the lights | Show with music | View over Batumi and the sea | The statue is a short stop on an evening walk. Pair it with the boulevard and the fountains on the same night, and save Argo for daylight or sunset. ## Batumi after dark: what to see Batumi places best seen in the evening, with their YesGo score. - [Ali and Nino statue](https://yesgo.io/georgia/batumi/ali-and-nino) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free - [Europe Square](https://yesgo.io/georgia/batumi/batumi-europe-square) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free - [Piazza Square](https://yesgo.io/georgia/batumi/batumi-piazza) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free, open 24/7 - [Batumi Dancing Fountains](https://yesgo.io/georgia/batumi/batumi-dancing-fountains) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free - [Batumi Boulevard](https://yesgo.io/georgia/batumi/batumi-boulevard) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free - [Argo Cable Car](https://yesgo.io/georgia/batumi/argo-cable-car) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 39 GEL return ## An evening in Old Batumi Piazza and Europe Square in daylight, Argo up the hill for sunset, then the statue once the figures are moving under the lights. YesGo fits in the timing and walks. 1. [Piazza Square](https://yesgo.io/georgia/batumi/batumi-piazza) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free, open 24/7 2. [Europe Square](https://yesgo.io/georgia/batumi/batumi-europe-square) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free 3. [Argo Cable Car](https://yesgo.io/georgia/batumi/argo-cable-car) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · 39 GEL return 4. [Ali and Nino statue](https://yesgo.io/georgia/batumi/ali-and-nino) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free ## Good to know Ali and Nino is also a 1937 novel, a 2016 film and several stage adaptations; this page is about the sculpture on Batumi’s seafront. Its official title is “Man and Woman”, and guidebooks often call it the Statue of Love. ## Tips - Arrive around 19:00 and stay until dark to see both the movement and the lights. - Watch at least one full cycle, from parting to parting — about 10 minutes. - Make it the last stop of an evening walk along the boulevard, with the [Dancing Fountains](https://yesgo.io/georgia/batumi/batumi-dancing-fountains) nearby. - If it’s after seven and nothing moves, wait a little — the start is sometimes delayed. - In daytime, only stop by if you’re passing — the still figures are a five-minute look. ## Questions ### What time does the Ali and Nino statue start moving? Every evening from 19:00. A cycle takes about 10 minutes and repeats; times occasionally shift and there are maintenance stops. ### How long does the Ali and Nino movement last? One cycle — approach, merge and part — takes about 10 minutes, then it starts again. ### Where is the Ali and Nino statue located? At the northern end of Batumi Boulevard, in Miracle Park by the sea, next to the Alphabetic Tower and the Ferris wheel. ### Is the Ali and Nino statue free? Yes. It stands on the open seafront and you can visit at any hour. ### Is the Ali and Nino statue worth seeing? In the evening, yes — the movement and lights are the point. In daylight the figures stand still, so only stop by if you’re passing. ### How tall is the Ali and Nino statue? About 8 metres per figure, according to Georgia’s and Ajara’s tourism bodies; some articles say 7 metres. ### What is the story of Ali and Nino? The nickname comes from Kurban Said’s 1937 novel about a Muslim Azerbaijani, Ali, and a Georgian princess, Nino, whose love ends in separation. The artist’s own title is “Man and Woman”. ### How do I get to the Ali and Nino statue from Europe Square? Walk north to the sea, turn right and follow the seafront to the Alphabetic Tower — about 15 minutes. ### Who made the Ali and Nino statue? Georgian artist Tamara Kvesitadze. It was first shown at the Venice Biennale in 2007 and installed in Batumi in 2010–2011. ## How we checked The start time, cycle length and height come from the Georgian National Tourism Administration, and the location from Ajara’s tourism portal. Everything else is checked against at least two sources. Sources disagree on the installation year (2010 or 2011) and the height (8 or 7 metres), so we show both. Reports of shifting times and maintenance stops are unofficial and marked “verifying”. Walking times are YesGo’s own estimate from the map. Bus payment by contactless card is from travel guides and marked “verifying”. ## Sources - Georgian National Tourism Administration: The legend of Ali and Nino — artist, height, movement time and cycle, 30.10.2026 - Department of Tourism and Resorts of Ajara (visitbatumi.com): Ali and Nino Statue — location and height - English Wikipedia: Ali and Nino (sculpture); Russian Wikipedia: Статуя Али и Нино в Батуми; Wikidata Q20587589 - Calvert Journal, 16.09.2015 — damage and repair after the move - Emerging Europe — the “Man and Woman” title and the artist’s words - georgia.to — installation year - Madloba — shifting movement times and maintenance stops (unofficial) --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.