Clinging to the side of a mountain in the green and lush area of Maçka is Sumela monastery, which was built in the fourth century. I had joined a tour and traveled from the nearby city of Trabzon to visit the iconic building.
We drove as far as possible and walked the last two hundred metres uphill. Most of it was uneven ground, sometimes narrow and large tree roots protruding out of the ground were an accident waiting to happen.
I reached the entrance, out of breath but my first view of the inside courtyard, confirmed that this was a worthwhile visit. A long flight of steps led down to the main courtyard, passing living quarters on the way.
From there, the kitchens and church are the last places to explore.
Furniture and personal possessions are not on display as the monastery was emptied in 1923. A lack of signs or a personal guide also means that at times, it is impossible to realise where you are stood and what you are looking at. The main attraction is the unique location and view.
Why was Sumela Monastery built in this peculiar place?
Traditionally, monasteries were always built on hills so they would be looking down on the local community. The people who built Sumela took this concept to another level by building as high as they did.
The story of why the monastery is in this peculiar location will vary depending on whom you speak to. The most popular explanation, involves a belief in miracles if you are to accept it as the truth.
It starts with two priests and a statue.
The Black Madonna
The legend talks about two priests who found an statue of the Virgin Mary in a cave on this mountain. The dark color of the statue led the priests to believe they had discovered a Black Madonna typically associated with miracles.
They believed Saint Luke had made the Black Madonna and angels carried it to the mountain.
They said it was a sign from the Virgin Mary that they should build their monastery in that spot.
Could rumours that the priests made up the story about the Black Madonna to gain income for their monastery be true?
Either way, the monastery functioned peacefully for hundreds of years. The Ottoman ruler, Sultan Mehmet the second, gave it protected status, special rights and privileges. It also continued to receive donations because of the Black Madonna statue.
The Turkish war of independence put an end to daily life in the monastery. In 1923, the monastery was abandoned and many items were secretly smuggled to a new monastery in Greece. It is believed that the Black Madonna was one of them.
The Frescoes and Ancient Graffiti
For many years, the monastery lay empty, visited only by soldiers and passersby.
The frescoes show signs of damage from this time. Rumours also suggest that American and Russian soldiers based in the area, in the early 1900s, chipped off parts of the frescoes for souvenirs to take home.
The most impressive display is on the ceiling and walls inside the church, showing various scenes from the Bible and figures of Christianity.
You can take photographs if you do not use a flash. Ignore this rule and guides will have no hesitation at shouting at you in front of everyone.
Is it bad to say that while I normally frown at graffiti on ancient drawings, the engravings of peoples name and years actually fascinated me?
Who was Sahap Hakioglu and why did he visit the monastery in 1956? There is no record that the monastery was open for tourism in this year.
Three Drops of Magical Water
Next to the church is one spot that is always wet, because of water dripping constantly from the rock face.
When the monastery first opened, people believed that if you stood on the spot and three drops of water fell on your head in concession, then good luck and health would come your way.
The queue used to be long as sick people travelled from far afield to be healed. Thankfully, that rumour has been laid to rest!
Handy tips to know about Sumela monastery
I cannot compare Sumela monastery to any other historic site in Turkey.
The renovation work makes it hard to image this building at the time of its construction in 386AD, but with a little bit of imagination, the services of a guide and a well-written book, you can appreciate it.
Most of the tour agencies in the city of Trabzon have cheap tours on offer that depart every day.
One morning is enough to explore Sumela monastery fully. Take a bottle of water, as you will need it on the walk up and there are no cafeterias at the top.
A restaurant at the bottom of the hill serves food and drinks which is ideal if you want to spend a full day exploring the area.
On the way down, there is a grumpy old man, who never smiles but he does play traditional Black sea music in return for a couple of coins.
Every year, on August 15, the monastery closes its door to tourism and only a select few can enter for a special religious service.
Readers Question : Have you been to Sumela? If not, would you put it on your list of places to visit?
Another great post, Nat. I don’t how you do it. You must be exhausted!
Jack Scott recently wrote about..Fifty Shades of Gay
Exhausted from traveling or exhausted from writing Jack? Put it this way, wish I could win the lottery!
Natalie recently wrote about..The Striking Beauty of Efeler Valley
. . it’s a wonderful site Natalie, and you’ve done it proud. Been a while since j and I were there and the restorations have changed the place a bit – must call in for another visit when we are back in the area.
Glad you like the post Alan. The restorations have distracted a lot away from the original face, however with an excellent guide, I was able to have a good visit.
Natalie recently wrote about..Kümbet Mosque, aka The Church of 12 Apostles
I went here in 2006, but without a guide or book, so never really appreciated all the stories attached. Even so the paintings and the walk up there were beautiful.
Steve recently wrote about..The leg-rowing fishermen of Inle Lake – Myanmar
Hi Steve, Great site that you have. I think a guidebook or qualified guide is essential if you truly want to understand the monastery. The frescoes are amazing
Natalie recently wrote about..A Panoramic View of Rize from Çaykur Tea Garden
Wow! You beat me to it! We were hoping to go there this coming weekend, although I think our plans for that are foiled. Great pics!
Terry (Adventures in Ankara) recently wrote about..Discovering Creativity – and a Recipe: CHIPOTLE TURKEY TACOS WITH CHARRED CORN SALSA
Why are your plans foiled Terry? Where did you go on your last road trip at Bayram?
Natalie recently wrote about..Göksu Waterfall : A Rush of Adrenaline and Euphoria
Very interesting story and very peculiar place indeed. I love discovering such historic gems, well done.
Angela recently wrote about..A trip, a photo – Vegan lunch in Rio de Janeiro
Thanks Angela, glad you liked the post. The monastery does have an interesting past and peculiar location making it even more intriguing.
Natalie recently wrote about..The Simplicity of Simena and My Desire to Return
What an incredible site…truly inspiring…
D.J. – The World of Deej recently wrote about..Check Out Time – The Week in Travel
Incredible indeed DJ – I can not compare it to anywhere else in Turkey
Natalie recently wrote about..This Man Will Walk 1305 Miles Across Turkey
I’d definitely visit this site! It looks beautiful and I love the stories associated with it.
cheryl recently wrote about..Instagram Postcards Of Berlin – Apr and May 2012 Edition.
It is beautiful Cheryl and I feel that I have only researched a small part of its history. There is still so much more untold
Natalie recently wrote about..Getting to Know the Cuisine of Turkey
Fascinating post Natalie, this Sumela post brought happy memories of visiting there years ago in winter. I remember doing the walking bit in snow. I need to go back there in summer time to appreciate it fully – many thanks for the wonderful photos, breathtaking as always.
Ozlem’s Turkish Table recently wrote about..Gavurdagi Salad of ripe tomatoes, onion, parsley and walnuts with olive oil & pomegranate sauce dressing – Gavurdagi Salatasi
I bet it looked breathtaking in the snow though Ozlem – mind I would not want to walk that path in cold weather.
Natalie recently wrote about..This Man Will Walk 1305 Miles Across Turkey
Great post as always! I bet it was worth it to climb all the way up there! The Trabzon area is definitely on our travel list, but will have to postpone until the spring as our fall/winter trips are already booked.
We loved the Black Sea region around Safranbolu, Turkey, and would love to explore more of the area.
Joy (My Turkish Joys) recently wrote about..Bademli Köyü: Turkish Village Life
Safronbolu is on my bucket list Joy, along with some other areas along that stretch of coastline. Looking forward to seeing posts about your winter trips.
Natalie recently wrote about..Kümbet Mosque, aka The Church of 12 Apostles
All I can say is wow! That place looks amazing!
Dean recently wrote about..Walking to the Cape Byron Lighthouse in Byron Bay, Australia
It is quite amazing Dean – one of the best sites in Turkey, I think
Natalie recently wrote about..Göksu Waterfall : A Rush of Adrenaline and Euphoria
What an interesting place! Places like this that cling to the side of cliffs or mountains always fascinate me. Seems like such a crazy idea to build it there, but it looks amazing.
Ali recently wrote about..What If You Don’t Speak the Language?
I agree that it was a crazy idea to build it there but the guide told me that the old walking route to reach it was around the mountainside so they did not have to climb up hill!
Natalie recently wrote about..The Simplicity of Simena and My Desire to Return
That is one beautiful spot. Are they HDR photos you took?
Cole @ FourJandals.com recently wrote about..Why I want to tear up your Bucket List
A few are HDR Cole – I tried not to go overboard on them though
Natalie recently wrote about..The Striking Beauty of Efeler Valley
WOW those photos took my breath away — once I noticed the monastery. It took me a minute! That is absolutely fascinating, and I love the story behind it, too.
Abby recently wrote about..California Dreamin’
It is hard to spot in some of the photos, but if I cropped them, they turned out really blurred.
Natalie recently wrote about..Kümbet Mosque, aka The Church of 12 Apostles
We SHALL make it there, one day. Like you, a win on the lottery wouldn’t go amiss!
Great photos and a tempter for us.
Julia
Turkey’s For Life recently wrote about..Bodrum Peninsula: Onwards To Turgutreis – A Photo Story
You will definitely enjoy it TFL – Get the camera ready as I took hundred of photographs. It is a very photogenic place.
Natalie recently wrote about..My Entry Into Capture the Colour
WOW — you just blew my mind with all these amazing photos Natalie! Turkey is such an massive country, with too many unknown, hidden gems like this monastery and the Black Madonna. Great great shots
- Maria Alexandra
Spanish Translator @latinAbroad recently wrote about..Puerto Rico patriotism: The U.S. territory’s dilemma
You are right when you see Turkey is massive. I have only seen a tiny part of it when looking at it on a map. Hoping to find more places like this in the east of Turkey as well. Glad you like the shots.
Natalie recently wrote about..Kümbet Mosque, aka The Church of 12 Apostles
What an interesting place! This is the sort of thing I would definitely visit!
Jade Johnston – OurOyster.com recently wrote about..Inter Rail Book Review
It is very interesting Jade,especially when you start to delve into its history. Amazing that this place is still standing
Natalie recently wrote about..A Panoramic View of Rize from Çaykur Tea Garden
What an awesome place! I didn’t know there were so many Black Madonnas. We have one in Catalonia too.
Cristina Garcia recently wrote about..Tour Review: Swimming With Whale Sharks in Holbox, Mexico with Turistica Moguel
I was reading about the Black Madonnas Cristina and there are many throughout the world. I had never heard of them before visiting the monastery.
Natalie recently wrote about..14 Famous Landmarks of Istanbul
Amazing – it looks stunning! My list of things to do when I head back to Turkey keeps getting longer and longer!!
Turtle recently wrote about..A close shave
I saw that you had left now but looking forward to reading some more of your posts
Natalie recently wrote about..The Colourful Wooden Mosque of Maral
Wow – incredible! You’ve captured it well.
Cam recently wrote about..Photo of the Week: Lovely Little Liechtenstein
Coming from a great photographer like yourself it is so nice to read that
Natalie recently wrote about..The Galata Mevlevi Whirling Dervish House and Museum
Wow, those must have been some very dedicated craftsman to agree to build the monastery so high on the cliff side. Amazing.
Mary @ Green Global Travel recently wrote about..ECO NEWS: 5 Reasons the Romney Platform Is Bad for the Environment
Exactly Mary. If it was me, I would prefer to build it lower down
Natalie recently wrote about..The Tigran Honents Church of Ani
Wow! That looks amazing. Every time I read your blog, I can’t believe that we haven’t been to Turkey yet! It’s such an amazing country. It’s been high on our list for years and yet for some reason, we can’t seem to get ourselves there. Something else always comes up. For now, I’ll enjoy you showing me around and build my itinerary in my head through your words and visuals. thanks for introducing me to yet another amazing location.
Deb recently wrote about..Photo Giveaway Day 1: The Cape Buffalo
Happy to show you the country through my blog Deb but try and make it here in 2013 because it is even better to do it in person
Natalie recently wrote about..8 Things I Love about City Breaks in Istanbul
We are considering a trip around the Black Sea next summer. I desperately want to visit the Sumela Monastery. My question; I have a chronic, not contagious lung infection and easily out of breath. If I were to walk slowly, use an inhaler & my husband’s arm for support, from your experience would I be able to make it?
Hi Ginny, It would all depend on how serious the lung infection is and also how desperate you are to see it. It will be hard to get up there but if you are determined, I would do the following.
Hire a car or a private tour guide and that way you won’t be rushed to keep up with others. Get the car to go up as far as it can. A lot of people park up at the restaurant at the bottom but you can go further in a vehicle.
From there the hard walk will begin but take a bottle of water for refreshments and then you can stop when you feel weak and start again when you feel better.
I do remember a table half way up as well as some stone walls along the route where you can rest to give your lungs a break and use your inhaler.
It won’t be easy but if you are determined and take your time, I think you could do it.
Natalie recently wrote about..The Friendly Locals of Beypazari
Interesting story – I love discovering such places. I loved the photos too. It looks like, regardless of the origin, it is a place that’s definitely worth a visit!
Lori recently wrote about..Strange new laws launched with the New Year
Should be on everyone’s list when they come to Turkey Lori but sadly quite a lot of people miss it out
Natalie recently wrote about..A Gorgeous Cave Hotel in Cappadocia