Georgia.

Batumi.: GEORGIA.:

 A really welcome card today from a lovely person in Georgia. This was a long awaited card that just seemed to take forever in the postal system.
 The crad shows The Hotel Sheraton in Batumi Georgia in the style of the ancient Lighthouse of Alexandria in Egypt. Batumi is located on the site of the Ancient Greek colony in Colchis...called Bathus derived from the Greek phrase "Bathus Limen" ..or deep Harbour. Under Hadrian  ( R 117- 138 AD ) it was converted into a Roman Fortified Port later deserted for the Fortress of Petra founded in the times of Justinian  (R 527- 565 )  and garrisoned by The Byzantyne Roman Forces it was formerly a pocession of the Kingdom of   Lazica and being briefly occupied by the Arabs who could not hold it and in the 9th century formed part of the Bagratid Monarchy of  Tau Klarjeti and at the close of the 10th century of The unified Kingdom of Georgia that followed it. In 1878 it was annexed by the Russian Empire and declared a "free port" . In 1903 it was established as the Region of Batumi and placed under  the direct control of The Government of Georgia..
 Batumi today is one of the Mian Port cities of Georgia. The annual revenue now from the port is estimated at between $ 200 and $300 million dollars.    Thank you for this card  Khatuna..
Posted Georgia :13 October 2014: Arrived Sydney 18 November 2014:Traveled 36 days.:
(information courtesy Wikipedia.)