Ali and Nino statue; It is located on the seaside in Batumi, which is the main port of Georgia. These two statues, which are symbols of the city, were built in 2010 by Georgian sculptor Tamara Kvesitadze. While the male figure in the sculptures represents a Muslim person named Ali, the female figure represents a Georgian girl named Nino. These statues, erected to commemorate the tragic love story of Ali and Nino, are among the most striking places in the city with their magnificent design and interesting story. Sculptures, also known as “Man and Woman”, are also recognized as a work of art that eliminates the boundaries of east and west.
The inspiration for the statue in Batumi is the book “Ali and Nino: I Love Story” written by the Azeri writer Kurban Said. Published in 1937, the book has been translated into 30 different languages over the years. At the same time, the book Ali and Nino was scripted and made into a movie in 2016. The 8-meter-high statue is a 7-ton movable steel structure. These sculptures, which follow each other motionlessly throughout the day, begin to approach each other at 19.00 in the evening. The merging moment of the kinetic sculptures, which are separated by passing through each other, fascinates those who see it. Thousands of people flock to the statue to witness this unique moment.
The Story of Ali and Nino
The great love story of Ali and Nino, whose books were written and made into movies, took place during the First World War, when events that deeply affected Azerbaijan were experienced. This love between a Muslim youth and a Christian girl began in 1914 in a country where east and west meet. At that time, the Russian Empire controlled more than a hundred ethnic groups. In the Russian Empire, events such as the revolution, civil war, the capture of Baku by the Bolsheviks and the Sovietization of the country trying to gain its independence took place.
Ali Han Şırvanşir, who belongs to an old aristocratic family, and Nino Kapiani, the daughter of Gürcü Bey, fall in love with each other. Ali, who grew up with the Muslim faith, and Nino, who was raised according to Christian traditions, decide to get married despite all kinds of difficulties. But Ali’s friend Melik Nahararyan is also in love with Nino and kidnaps him. Having captured and killed Nahararyan, Ali is forced to flee to Dagestan. Nino goes after Ali and they get married in a hill town close to Makhachkala.
After the beginning of the revolution in the Russian Empire, Ali returns to Azerbaijan to protect his homeland from the Bolsheviks and sends Nino to Iran. After the revolution, Ali goes to Iran and they have a daughter. After the establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, Ali and Nino return to become cultural ambassadors of their new country. But in the 1920s, the Bolsheviks occupied Baku with the aim of overthrowing the Azerbaijani government and establishing Soviet power in the country. Ali, who did not leave his hometown in this difficult situation, sends his wife and daughter to Tbilisi. During the war, Ali, who was 24 years old, lost his life on the Ganja Bridge. Nino, who went to Paris with his daughter, never returned to Baku. The life stories of Ali and Nino, which are constantly being separated and reunited, have been a source of inspiration for the separated and reunited sculptures.
