Sumela Monastry, Trabzon, Turkey
” “
Sumela Monastery (Turkish: Sümela Manastırı; Panagia Soumela, Soumela “Virgin Mary’s in greek) is a rock carved out impressive monastery perched dramatically narrow shelf and steep woods south of Trabzon. It was built in the fourth century, just before the Roman Empire divided into east and west, two in Athens, priests and Sofronio Barnabas, who according to legend, he found the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary in a cave. Monastery of the tumultuous geopolitical position of this side of the world, of course, given the time and was ruined several times during its history, with a flourishing times of the Byzantine and Ottoman.
Sumela is 1600 year old Orthodox monastery is located at 1200 meters above sea level is steep in the town of Macka in Trabzon, Turkey.
The monastery is built with stones accessible path through the forest. Beautiful frescos of the monastery of the 18th century of biblical scenes on the walls of Christ and the Virgin Mary.
The site was abandoned in 1923 and became a museum and popular tourist destination thanks to its superb location, structure and landscape. 15. August 2010 authorization of the Government of Turkey, the Orthodox mass is held for the first time Sumela monastery since 1923.
Sumela History
According to legend, the monastery was founded by two Greek priests called Barnabas and Sofronio in 386 AD during the reign of Roman Emperor Theodosius I (379-395) is also known as Flavius Theodosius.
That in the sixth century during the reign of Emperor Justinian, the monastery was repaired by one of his commanders named Belisario. In the 13 th century, Trabzon and areas have begun to be under the control of a new formation called the Comnenus dynasty, development as an independent state of the Byzantine Empire.
Trabzon became its own capital and princes the title of the true heirs of the Byzantine Empire. During the reign of Alexander III Comnenus (1349-1390), the monastery took its current form. It has been funded annually by the imperial golden age.
When the Ottomans came and conquered Trabzon Sultan Mehmet II in 1461, ordered the monastery to protect and Sumela following the Sultans Mehmed II remained faithful to the order and gives special rights and privileges for the monastery in 1916.
Until the Russian occupation of Trabzon (- 1918), the Monastery of Sumela remained active and visited by the monks and Muslim and Christian pilgrimages. In 1923, the Ottoman Empire collapsed and after the war for national freedom, independence of the Republic of Turkey was founded by Ataturk.
After 1923, the Sumela Monastery was abandoned due to the exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey under the Treaty of Lausanne. In 1930, those who migrated founded a new monastery which they named as the new monastery of Panagia Soumelis on the slopes of Mount Vermion, near the city of Naoussa, Macedonia, Greece. Some treasures of the ancient monastery of Sumela were carried out in the new Greece.
With the fire in 1930, was the wooden parts of the monastery destroyed Sumela. The following year, hunters Treasury damaged the remaining parts of the monastery.
Today Sumela Monastery is a museum open to visitors from around the world, and the restoration work was funded by the Turkish government.
Sumela Location
Today Sumela Monastery located on the cliffs high mountains Zigana an attitude of 1200 meters in the region Macka Trabzon province on the Black Sea in Turkey, 46 km (26 miles) from Trabzon.
The monastery is Altindere National Park, surrounded by a beautiful forest and down the mountain manages one of the arms Degirmendere Creek. Vehicles can access the car park at 950 meters near the river, and from this point you have to walk up the road about 1 km path (0.7 mile) to reach the entrance of the monastery, situated in a position of 1200 meters above sea level
Regular tours are available from Trabzon city.
If you want to do it on your own, take a minibus from Trabzon to Macka, and from Macka to Altindere National Park which will take you to the bottom of the mountain. You may also take a taxi to the site.
Legends in SumelaHow to reach Sumela
Foundation of the monastery
During the reign of Theodosius I (375 – 395), two Athenian priests named Barnabus and Sophronius, while travelling from Athens to Trabzon, found a miraculous icon of Virgin Mary in a cave on a mountain, and decided to build a church there to create a house for the icon. This cave or hollow today forms the center of the monastery.
According to the legend, one of the disciples of Jesus Christ, St Luke, made the icon and after his death the icon was sent to Athens. However, during the reign of Theodosius I, the icon wished to leave Athens and it was carried by angels from Athens to Trabzon and put into this cave for Barbanus and Sophronius to find it.
The icon is believed to be of a great age and to possess miraculous properties.
In the center of the Monastery, there was a sacred pool into where large drops of water from thirty or forty meters above were falling. Not only in Christianity but also in Muslim religion Mother Mary is believed to bring health to people. So over the centuries, Christians and Muslims came to the monastery to seek for health from these sacred water drops after offering gifts and sacrifices to the monastery.
Name of the monastery
Sumela is the Greek Name of the monastery, founded in the name of Virgin Mary (Μονή Παναγίας Σουμελά, in English monastery of the Panaghia which is the name of Virgin Mary in Greek).
There are two theories of the reason of the name ‘Sumela’ to be put in this monastery. ‘Mela’ in Greek means ‘dark’ or ‘black’. This may refer to the black forrest and the mountains where the church is built. But it may also refer to the icon of Virgin Mary too because in the icon Virgin Mary is dark, or could be even described as black. Also the mountain’s name became known as Oros Mela (Black Mountain) because of the Monastery.
In the 12th century, it was very common to describe Virgin Mary in black to emphasize the mysterious expression on Virgin Mary’s face. These icons were called Black Madonna mostly used in Georgian art and Eastern Europe which is also believed to be the traces of ancient Indian art. This Black Madonna’s are usually found in the heights of forests in the mountains near a healing spring and is believed to arrive there for a miraculous purpose. These places become a pilgrimage place for Christians.
The icon in Sumela Monastery could also be black by the black wooden surface. Enough research could not be done so we do not have clear information about the age of the icon or if it is a true Black Madonna or not. There is an old photograph of the icon and in this photo the wooden surface and the silver frame surrounding the icon is seen clearly.
Sumela Monastery in World Media
sumela monaestry, sumela, trabzon, ortodox chruch, turkey
‘Turkey lifts ban to allow mass at monastery ‘
‘Five hundred Greek orthodox Christians have celebrated mass in the beautiful 1,600-year-old Sumela monastery in north-eastern Turkey, ending an 88-year ban on religious services at the site.’
‘Conducted by Greek Orthodox Patriarch Dimitri Bartholomew I, the mass attracted orthodox Christians from Greece, Russia, Georgia, the US and Turkey to the monastery that sits on a ledge high in a cliff inland from the Turkish Black Sea port of Trabzon.’
*****************************************
REUTERS CANADA Sun Aug 15, 2010 8:30am EDT By Ayla Jean Yackley
‘Orthodox flock to once-banned holy site in Turkey’
‘Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, spiritual leader of the world’s 250 million Orthodox Christians, celebrated the Divine Liturgy to mark the Feast Day of the Virgin Mary. The faithful believe Jesus’s mother Mary was taken up to heaven on August 15 after her death.’
*****************************************
ASSOCIATED PRESS August 15 2010, By Erol Israfil
‘Patriarch holds historic Mass at monastery’
‘The mass conducted by Patriarch Bartholomew I, religious leader of all Orthodox Christians, marks the first official religious service carried out at the ancient monastery since the foundation of the modern Turkish Republic. ‘
*****************************************
BBC NEWS August 15 2010
‘Orthodox Christians from around the world have been attending a rare Mass at an ancient monastery in Turkey.’
‘At least 1,500 pilgrims, including people from Greece and Russia, travelled to the Byzantine-era monastery.’
*****************************************
GREEK REPORTER EUROPE August 15 2010 by Anny Tzotzadini
‘ “After 88 years, the tears of the Virgin Mary have stopped flowing,” the head of the Eastern Orthodox Church, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomeos, said during the service.’
*****************************************
DIE PRESSE.COM 16.08.2010 | 08:59
‘ Türkisches Kloster Sumela: Erste Messe seit 90 Jahren ‘
*****************************************
EURONEWS 15/08 16:36 CET
‘Rare Orthodox mass held at Turkish monastery. ‘
*****************************************
EL NACIONAL.COM 15 de agosto 2010 | 10:22 am – EFE
‘Celebran misa cristiana en el monasterio turco de Sumela por primera vez en 88 años’
*****************************************
POLSKA AGENCJA PRASOWA SA 15 August 2010
‘Pierwsza od 88 lat msza w prawosławnym klasztorze Sumela w Turcji’
