Georgian Gov’t opens special residence for Muslim community in Batumi

Muslims living in Georgia’s southwestern Adjara region are happy to have a new residence for their Mufti that combines as a learning environment for students.

The residence officially opened in coastal Batumi today.

The State Agency for Religious Issues procured a four-floor building, previously being used as a hotel, and transferred it to the Muslim community to use.

The Mufti – a Muslim legal expert who is empowered to give rulings on religious matters – will live and work in part of the residence while a portion of the property will be established as a madrasa (the Arabic word for educational institution), which will be used by Muslim pupils.

Western Georgia’s Muslim Mufti Beglar Kamashidze thanked Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and the State Agency for Religious Issues for gifting the Muslim community the facility, calling it "a historic fact”.

Over the years we wanted to have such a residence which would conform to the needs of the Muslim community. Today our expectations are fulfilled and God gave us a building where parish and superiors can continue to work,” Kamashidze said.

On another note, representatives of the Georgian Muslim Department delivered humanitarian aid to about 700 extremely vulnerable people who lived in the slums – commonly known as the cardboard city – in Khelvachauri village in Adjara region.