Abastumani Resort and Obeservatory

Abastumani is a town and climatic spa in Samtskhe-Javakheti reion, Georgia; on the southern slopes of Meskheti Range in the canyon of river Otskhe. The town is about 200 km west to Tbilisi, capital of Georgia.

Abstumani is known as a health-resort and healing place for consumptive patients. The slopes of the range are covered with pine-trees, fir-trees, spruce. Winter is mild here and summer is not too hot. Temperate dryness and limpid air are typical for the settlement. The town is rich with thermal waters. Weakly-mineralized hot springs is used for the treatment of different disorders such as female disorder, nervous system, etc.

Under the rule of the Russian empire, a German colony was established there in 1842. 8 years later it was recolonized by the Russians. The new settlement acquired the name Abbas-Tuman after a nearby located village and became popular for its climate and thermal waters.

The development of the resort is chiefly associated with Prince George Alexnadrovich who was a member of the Russia Imperial Family. Due to his ill-health, the prince spent his life-time in Abastumani. Since the mid 2000s the tourism infrastructure has been renovated in the town.

Abstumani Astrophysical Observatory is located near Abastumani. The observatory researches the earth’s atmosphere, space and astronomy. The staff of the observatory is devoted to research different fields of astronomy and astrophysics, as well as atmospheric sciences.

Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory was founded in 1932 on the forest-covered mount Kanobili, near resort Abastumani. The altitude of mountain Kanobili estimates from 1650 to 1700 m. above sea level and it is one of the best observatories among the same altitude with its observational conditions. The observatory is 150km east of Black Sea, and 50 km north of the Turkish border, directly west of Tbilisi, capital of Georgia. It is the only place from where the planet Venus can be seen by daytime sometimes without the help of any tool.

The observatory is connected with Abastumani by a cable cage. It takes you about ten minutes to reach the mountain or an hour by foot. From the cabin, the stunning views of the valley and Abastumani are seen. There are numerous monuments of the Ancient Geogian Architecture in this region – Samtskhe-Javakheti. The most famous is Vardzia which was cut in a sheer rock in the XII century.

Telecopes

33 cm. Reflector – mounted in 1932, now is in the Museum of GENAO
40 cm. Zeiss Refractor – mounted in 1936
44 cm. Zeiss Schmidt Camera – mounted in 1940.
70 cm. Maksutov Meniscus Telescope – 1955.
48 cm. Cassegrain Reflector – mounted in 1968.
40 cm. Zeiss Double Astrograph – mounted in 1978.
125 cm. Ritchie – Chretien Reflector – mounted in 1977.

Abastumani offers various tours to its visitors. During the tours the visitors will see ancient mansions and monasteries built in XII century and earlier; enjoy beautiful views of forest-covered mountains and deep gorges, and visit the observatory. Also they have a possibility to look through the telescope and observe the planets. Visitors can enjoy the hot sulfur baths, too.