The monastery “Holy Virgin Sumela” rises 1200 meters above sea level.
The majestic building stands menacingly on the edge of the cliffs, its frescoes faded and distorted. The facade shows the deep traces of time and when the spires are enveloped by clouds, the monastery looks like an apparition.
Sumela rises 1200 meters above sea level and is located in Altendere Park. Although it is only about 50 kilometers from the Black Sea city of Trabzon, the monastery is not overly popular.
How the “Holy Virgin Sumela” appeared is the subject of legends and outright myths.
One of them states that an icon of the Holy Virgin Mary, painted by the Apostle Luke himself, was lowered into the cave by two angels.
Somewhere in the 4th century, two monks read the omen and decided to found a monastery right in front of this same cave, and gradually a whole complex sprung up there.
In the heart of the monastery is the so-called Rock Church, which is as if dug into the rocks. Over time, chapels, cells, common rooms, an aqueduct and others were built around it.
All this has experienced a dizzying change of eras – from the collapse of the Roman Empire, through the Byzantine Empire and the Ottoman rule, to Turkey‘s struggles for independence.
Some of the frescoes are badly damaged – in one place Saint John has no hand, in another Jesus is faceless, in a third there are vandalized inscriptions on the frescoes.
Again, myths say that because of some mystical power, the Ottomans spared “Sumela” and left the monastery intact during their invasion.
The latter, however, is more likely due to the location of the monastery complex, which made the invaders not hang it. It is a fact that in the 18th century the monks were calm enough for the monastery to paint a huge part of its walls with the frescoes that are still visible today.
The crisis for “Sumela” came in the 1920s, when after the First World War the monks left the monastery in panic.
Massive migrations due to the military conflict did not pass the region and the priests fled to Greece, but not before burying a large part of the valuables in secret places around the monastery.
After that, “Sumela” was attacked by vandals, deceived by the rumors of what untold riches the monastery hides. Valuables were never found, but a significant part of the unique frescoes were damaged, the altars were broken, and the cells of the priests were insulted.
In 1970, however, the Turkish Ministry of Culture turned its attention to Sumela and began the first restoration program. In the 1980s, symbolically, on the Great Mother of God, the monastery officially began to receive pilgrims and tourists again.
The restoration works are still ongoing because the frescoes are many and complex. The only images that are completely spared are those of the Virgin Mary, because she is considered a holy figure in Islam as well.
The monastery can be reached from Trabzon by private transport or by one of the organized buses. Entrance is 20 euros, and “Sumela” is open for visits and prayers all year round.
