The Sumela Monastery is not just a monastery, but rather a living legend that still lives among us,
enriching Turkey’s historical and cultural heritage. Those interested in history and archeology
in the state of Trabzon, thanks to its distinctive structure and unique location on the mountainside,
as if it were part of it.

Sumela Monastery site

Sumela Monastery is located at an altitude of more than 1,200 meters on the edge of a steep cliff
of Zigana Mountain in the Majca district of Trabzon, overlooking the Black Sea. This monastery is
one of the world-famous buildings and has been included by the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization “UNESCO” in the provisional list of world heritage.

To view the tourist programs in the city of Trabzon

History of Sumela Monastery

According to legend, the monks Barnabas and Sophronius saw the same dream, which tells them
of the location of the ancient church “in which there is an icon made by the Apostle
Luke (one of the four apostles of Christ) depicting the Virgin Mary”, or what is also known
as the “black icon”, and as a result of that
The two monks sailed separately from Athens towards Trabzon, and during the journey,
the two monks talked about their dream as soon as they met, and concluded that it was a miracle.
And following the clues they saw in their dreams, they went to the area where the Sumela Monastery is located now,
and during their research they were able to find the icon that had disappeared for many years inside
a cave in the mountain, and as a result their attempts succeeded in persuading Emperor
Theodosius I in order to allow them to establish a region The monastery in 386 AD,
and the building of the rock church of the monastery.
Indeed, this monastery was built in the style of the churches of the city of Nevsehir Cappadocia in Anatolia,
and inside it there are rooms for students, a guest house, a library and a cafeteria, in addition to what
is called the holy place, and tourists to the place can enjoy several natural ingredients, and learn about
new historical and cultural details.
In the sixth century, the monastery was restored at the request of Emperor Justinian, who established
the Hagia Sophia Church in Istanbul. Sumela Monastery is known to have reached its present
state since the thirteenth century. Under the Kingdom of Trabzon Komnenos, which ruled
the region between 1204 and 1461, the monastery increased in importance, and basic assistance was provided.

Inside Sumela Church.

It is noteworthy that the same construction method was followed for many monasteries in Sumela,
where new parts were built and linked to the monastery complex as needed. Thus, the building and
construction work continued at the Sumela Monastery for more than 1,600 years, that is, from the day
it was founded until 1923, when it was abandoned.
Sumela includes the main rock church, a chapel, students’ rooms, monks’ rooms, guest rooms, kitchen, library,
and holy springs.
It is believed that the water falling regularly from one of the rocks above the monastery complex
is the tears of the Virgin Mary, as the water was collected in a small pond. Thus, many Christians visited
the monastery to find healing in this holy spring. The main entrance to the monastery is accessed by
a narrow and long staircase, while the inner courtyard is accessed through another staircase that passes
through the entrance located next to the guard rooms.

In the end, we advise you to discover more details and secrets about this ancient monastery
by contacting Booking In Travel to prepare a tourist trip to the monastery with a tour guide and a private car.
Contact us from here