Sümela Monastery is a medieval monastery located within the boundaries of Maçka district of Trabzon province, in the Black Sea region of Turkey. The monastery is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is built on a rocky slope approximately 300 meters high from the summit.

The history of Sümela Monastery dates back to ancient times. The foundation of the monastery is believed to have been laid between 365-395 AD. According to a legend among the Pontic Greeks, two monks named Barnabas and Sophronios from Athens had the same dream; in their dreams, they saw the location of Sümela as the place where one of the three Panagia icons made by Saint Luke, depicting the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus. Consequently, they independently traveled by sea to Trabzon, where they met, shared their dreams, and laid the foundation of the first church. However, it is also believed that the real founder of the monastery was Emperor III. Alexios (1349-1390), who is frequently depicted in the frescoes of the monastery and given special importance.

Sümela Monastery underwent various expansions and repairs over time. Throughout the Middle Ages, it served as a monastery under the Byzantine and Ottoman administrations. One of the brightest periods of the monastery was during the 13th and 14th centuries when it became a cultural and religious center, where many monks and priests received education and worshiped.

During the Ottoman period, although the monastery continued its activities, it was abandoned due to the population exchange in 1923, which led to the migration of Greeks to Greece. The monastery remained abandoned for a long time and gradually fell into ruin.

However, restoration works on Sümela Monastery began in the late 20th century. Thanks to these restoration efforts, the monastery has become an important historical and touristic site that attracts tourists and visitors today. Sümela Monastery is particularly recognized as one of the tourist attractions of Trabzon, offering visitors a unique landscape and a historical experience.

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