Sümela Monastery (Turkey)

Idea About: place

Country: Turkey
Sümela Monastery (Greek: Monastery of the Panaghia), Melá mountain

Sümela Monastery (Greek: Monastery of the Panaghia), Melá mountain
Bjørn Christian Tørrissen   CC Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

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Idea Description

General Information

Country: Turkey (4)
Location Info:  City: Macka  Province/State: Trabzon Province
Idea About: place (99)
Type of Travel: beaches and sun (20) | history (63)
Features: mountain (29) | national park (19) | resort (14) | sacred place and sanctuary (40) | shrine (15)
Recommended for: student (49)
Budget: mainstream (85)
Trip Length: several hours (11) | one day (26)
Region: Asia (15)

Description

The Sümela Monastery (Sümela Manastırı in Turkish and also known as Meryemana since it was dedicated to the Virgin Mary) at Melá mountain is a Greek Orthodox monastery. It stands at an altitude of about 4,000 ft (1200 m) at the foot of a cliff facing the Altındere valley in Trabzon Province, Turkey. The Sümela Monastery is a major tourist attraction of Altındere National Park in the midst of evergreen woods with clear streams.

The Sümela Monastery was founded in 386 AD during the reign of the Emperor Theodosius I. There is an elaborate legend describing the origins of the Monastery. According to it all started with a miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary, the work of Saint Luke, one of the disciples of Jesus Christ. After the death of Luke, the icon declared its desire to leave the place where it was kept and was brought to the cave in the mountains by angels. After that the icon was discovered by two hermits and inspired them to found the monastery.

In its long history, the Sümela Monastery was completely destroyed several times, and every time was restored. Its current appearance and decorations came from the 13th century. The Monastery was abandoned in 1923. Today, it is primarily a tourist attraction. Monastery is being restored partially with funds provided the Turkish government.

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What Makes It Special

Sümela Monastery is very popular for its cultural and religious significance. It has unusual architecture and layout forming a large complex of buildings. Inner structures (church, chapels) are decorated with frescoes dating from the era of Alexios III of Trebizond. The monastery enjoys a very picturesque setting overlooking the forests and streams below, a true gem in a magnificent nature scenery. Note that some scholars dispute many facts related to the history of the Sümela Monastery as well as its cultural importance. Whether it is true or not, Sümela Monastery remains an interesting place to see and explore.

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Directions To Destination

The park can be reached via the 30-mile (48 km) road connecting Trabzon (capital of Trabzon Province) to Macka. Using this road travelers arrive to an area in Altındere valley with shops and restaurants. From that point visitors take a path paved with stone and eventually climb stone stairs to reach the entrance. It is about half a mile (one km), hike uphill rising 820 feet (270 m). There is also an alternative path to the monastery through the other side of the mounting.

Trabzon has an airport (Trabzon Airport, IATA: TZX) with mostly domestic routes (including Istanbul). Some international destinations are served as well ( mostly flights to and from Germany).

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Best Time To Go

May - September. Winters are cool and damp in the area.

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Where To Stay

If you want to stay closer to the Sümela Monastery we can recommend Buyuk Sumela Hotel, Atatürk Caddesi No:8, 61750 Macka (Trabzon), 4-start hotel, 115 rooms, located about 4.5 miles (8 km from the Monastery with prices $90 - $120. Hotel facilities include an indoor pool, outdoor terrace and free Wi-Fi.

To stay in Trabzon, you best bet is Novotel Trabzon (Cumhuriyet Mah Kasustu Beldesi Yomra, Kasustu (Trabzon)), 4-star hotel, 200 rooms. Hotel is overlooking the Black Sea and is located next to the World Trade Center with 10-minute walk to the city center and the beach. Services and facilities include a free shuttle service to the airport or shopping mall, indoor swimming pool, free WiFi in public areas, tennis courts and a fitness center. Room rate are from $125 to $200 night. Research and book hotels in or near Trabzon, Turkey

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Activities

Sightseeing

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Useful Visitor Information and Tips

The best way to visit the Sümela Monastery is during a day or half-day trip from Trabzon. Trabzon is known Black Sea resort with good beaches. If you stay there for several days you can make your vacation a bit spicier by undertaking a tour to the Sümela Monastery.

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Additional Information

Tags: Altindere National Park; Beaches and sun (11); Black Sea; Greek Orthodox; history (31); Macka; Mela mountain; Meryemana; Mountain (16); National Park (11); Resort (7); Sacred place and sanctuary (20); Shrine (10); Sumela Monastery; Trabzon; Virgin Mary (2)

Web Sites:   Go Turkey - Gateway to Turkey: The official travel & holiday guide
  T.C. Trabzon Valiliği

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