Sumela Monastery and the Black Madonna

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.

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?

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Hi. I'm Natalie, a freelance travel blogger and writer specializing in the country of Turkey. I love hot summer days, historical sites and coffee.

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Comments

Natalie says
at

Do you know yet when you will make it Larry?
Larry says
at

Spectacular cultural site … it will rank high on my list when I get to Turkey!
Natalie says
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Thank you Arshad
arshad mahmood says
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u r a great photo grapher
Larry says
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Man, places like this seem older than time. Ever catch yourself wondering what life was like for their occupants eons ago?
Natalie says
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Raphael, I think you got mixed up with your pages. The monastery is in the Black sea area
Raphael Alexander Zoren says
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It looks incredible! What I love about Cappadocia is that there’s always a reason to come back and explore some more, I was in the area for one week and I think I only scratched the surface! 😀
priti jariwala says
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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
tommy phu says
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Very nice, forests, ancient houses, the pictures are carved on the wall that is the exciting thing for those who travel to Turkey.
Mandy says
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I was there in November and it’s true that inside is poorly sign-posted, but the view of the monastery from below and en route is gorgeous as are the paintings of Biblical stories in the church.
Natalie says
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Should be on everyone’s list when they come to Turkey Lori but sadly quite a lot of people miss it out
Lori says
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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!
Natalie says
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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.
Ginny Theo says
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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?
Natalie says
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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
Deb says
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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.
Natalie says
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Exactly Mary. If it was me, I would prefer to build it lower down
Mary @ Green Global Travel says
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Wow, those must have been some very dedicated craftsman to agree to build the monastery so high on the cliff side. Amazing.
Natalie says
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Coming from a great photographer like yourself it is so nice to read that
Natalie says
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I saw that you had left now but looking forward to reading some more of your posts
Cam says
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Wow – incredible! You’ve captured it well.
Turtle says
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Amazing – it looks stunning! My list of things to do when I head back to Turkey keeps getting longer and longer!! 🙂
Natalie says
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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.
Cristina Garcia says
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What an awesome place! I didn’t know there were so many Black Madonnas. We have one in Catalonia too.
Natalie says
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It is very interesting Jade,especially when you start to delve into its history. Amazing that this place is still standing
Natalie says
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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 says
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You will definitely enjoy it TFL – Get the camera ready as I took hundred of photographs. It is a very photogenic place.
Jade Johnston - OurOyster.com says
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What an interesting place! This is the sort of thing I would definitely visit!
Spanish Translator @latinAbroad says
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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
Turkey's For Life says
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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
Natalie says
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It is hard to spot in some of the photos, but if I cropped them, they turned out really blurred.
Natalie says
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A few are HDR Cole – I tried not to go overboard on them though
Abby says
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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.
Cole @ FourJandals.com says
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That is one beautiful spot. Are they HDR photos you took?
Natalie says
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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 says
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It is quite amazing Dean – one of the best sites in Turkey, I think
Natalie says
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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.
Ali says
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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.
Dean says
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All I can say is wow! That place looks amazing!
Joy (My Turkish Joys) says
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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.
Natalie says
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I bet it looked breathtaking in the snow though Ozlem – mind I would not want to walk that path in cold weather.
Natalie says
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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
Ozlem's Turkish Table says
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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.
cheryl says
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I’d definitely visit this site! It looks beautiful and I love the stories associated with it.
Natalie says
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Incredible indeed DJ – I can not compare it to anywhere else in Turkey
Natalie says
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Thanks Angela, glad you liked the post. The monastery does have an interesting past and peculiar location making it even more intriguing.
Natalie says
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Why are your plans foiled Terry? Where did you go on your last road trip at Bayram?
Natalie says
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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 says
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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 says
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Exhausted from traveling or exhausted from writing Jack? Put it this way, wish I could win the lottery!
D.J. - The World of Deej says
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What an incredible site…truly inspiring…
Angela says
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Very interesting story and very peculiar place indeed. I love discovering such historic gems, well done.
Terry (Adventures in Ankara) says
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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!
Steve says
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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.
Alan says
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. . 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.
Jack Scott says
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Another great post, Nat. I don’t how you do it. You must be exhausted!