Sumela Monastery, the buried treasure of Trabzon, one of the cities with the most beautiful nature in Turkey; It was established on a steep rocky slope in the Altındere valley of Karadağ, located in Altındere Village of Maçka District of Trabzon. Sumela, also known as the Virgin Mary among the people, has been selected to the World Heritage tentative list by UNESCO, and restoration works have been started in order to preserve its place in the World Heritage List.
It is thought that its name has came from the word “Melas” meaning “Black” and the word “Melas” from the dark-colored Karadağlar, where the monastery is located.
The History and Story of the Sumela Monastery
According to the legend, it is known that the church was founded between 365-395 AD. It wasn’t known much in the millennium period between the construction of the church and its becoming a monastery. According to the legend spoken among the Greeks of the Black Sea, two priests of Athens, Barnabas and Sophronios, had a similar dream during the reign of the Byzantine emperor Theodosius I; In their dreams, they saw that in the present place of Sumela, there are three Panagia icons made by St. Luke, one of Jesus’ disciples, and the icon of Mary holding the baby Jesus in her arms.
After the dream, they came to Trabzon by sea transportation, unaware of each other, and when they met, they told each other about their dreams and laid the first foundation of the church. In the 6th century, upon the request of Emperor Justinianus to expand the monastery, it was repaired and repaired by one of his generals, Belisarios.
The real founder of the monastery, which was founded in 1204, is believed to be the real founder of the Trabzon Komnenos Principality III. During the reign of Alexios (1349-1390), interest in the monastery increased and its income was provided by edicts. III. son of Alexios III. Manuel and later princes enriched Sümela with various edicts in their own time.
The situation of the monastery, which served as a police station in the defense of the city against Turkmen raids in the 14th century, did not change after the Ottoman conquest. It is known that Yavuz Sultan Selim sent two large candlesticks to the monastery as a gift during his princedom in Trabzon. Mehmed the Conqueror, II. Murat, I. Selim, II. Selim, III. Murad, Ibrahim, IV. Mehmed, II. Solomon and III. It is known that Ahmed protected the rights of Sümela and had edicts regarding the monastery.
The privileges given to the monastery during the Ottoman period created an area surrounded by Christian and secret Christian villages, especially in Maçka and northern Gümüşhane, during the Islam period of Trabzon and Gümüşhane.
In the 18th century, many parts of the Sumela Monastery were renovated and some of its walls were decorated with frescoes. With the construction of large buildings in the 19th century, the monastery gained a magnificent appearance and lived its richest and brightest period. During the Russian occupation of Trabzon between 18 April 1916 and 24 February 1918, the monastery was seized by the Greek militia, who wanted to establish an independent Pontus state, like the monasteries around Maçka.
After the Christians living in that area were sent to Greece with the population exchange, it lost its importance and was left to its fate until it was repaired by the TR Ministry of Culture.
The Greeks of the Black Sea, who migrated to Greece with the struggle, built a new church in the city of Veria, which they named Sümela. Festivals with high participation are held around the monastery, such as the new monastery they built, the past festivals they held in Trabzon Sümela every August.
With the permission of the Government of the Republic of Turkey in 2010, the first liturgy was held after 88 years on the day of the ascension of the Virgin Mary, which was accepted as the day of the ascension of the Virgin Mary by Christians, and the rite was performed by the Ecumenical Patriarch of the Istanbul Orthodox Patriarchate I. Bartholomew ruled.
The Curious Interior of Sumela Frescoes
The interior of the Sumela Monastery; It was built on a large area as the bedrock church, several chapels, kitchen, student rooms, guesthouse and library. At the entrance of the monastery, there is an aqueduct leaning against the hillside, which is known to bring water, but today, a large part of it has been destroyed.
The main entrance of the monastery is reached by a long and narrow staircase that provides the entrance to the monastery. The guard rooms are located right next to the entrance door. After the entrance, a staircase leads down to the inner courtyard. On the left, in front of the cave, there are various monastery buildings that form the basis of the monastery. On the right is the library. Again on the right, the large balcony surrounding the front of the slope was used as guest rooms and monk’s rooms.
The effects of Turkish art can be seen in the buildings around the courtyard, in the cabinets in the rooms, in the cells and in the hearths. The scenes taken from the Bible in the frescoes taken from some parts of the Sumela Monastery to examine and which were quite damaged, and Hz. These are the main topics related to the life of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.
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How to Go to Sumela Monastery?
After you set off for the Sumela Monastery tour with the tour you’ve got, the next stop will be to go to Maçka district of Trabzon. When you come to Maçka, you will reach the Monastery by following the signs of Sümela Monastery, which is inherited for us. After you reach the monastery, you will have reached the Sümela Monastery, which is a buried treasure, when you come to the end of the 100 stairs that start at the end of a 300-meter path to Sümela, after parking your car, which you bought from the car rental company, in the parking lots at the bottom of the monastery.
However, today, for those who cannot take this road, alternatively, minibus services are provided to go to Sümela after parking your own car. Except for authorized minibuses, it is closed to private vehicle entrance.
Is The Sumela Monastery Still Opened?
The part up to the courtyard, called the first stage, of the Sümela Monastery, which was closed to visitors due to restoration works, was opened on May 25, 2019. The opening date of the Sümela Monastery, whose first stage part will be opened, has been determined as Museums Day. Local and foreign
travelers are waiting impatiently for the restoration works to be completed, and the renovation works of the monastery are still continuing.
Entrance Fee of Sumela Monastery
The entrance fee of the Sumela Monastery is 25 TL. It is known that there will be price changes after the restoration. The entrance fee is different for Museum Card holders.
Visiting Hours of Sumela Monastery
It is said that Sümela Monastery will be opened to visitors after the restoration works are completed, according to the old summer and winter hours, except for special days.
Sümela Monastery, which is open to visitors 7 days a week, opens at 13:00 on special days;
Sumela Monastery Visiting Hours Summer Period: 09.00-19.00
Sumela Monastery Visiting Hours Winter Period: 08.00-16.00