Sümela Monastery, Orthodox monastery on cliffside in Maçka, Turkey
Sümela Monastery is an Orthodox house of worship in Maçka, Turkey, resting on a steep rock face above the Altındere Valley. The rooms spread over several floors, including cells for the monks, a library, and storage chambers carved into the rock.
Orthodox monks founded the site in the year 386 during the reign of Emperor Theodosius I and expanded it over the centuries. The community left the building in 1923 after the population exchange between Greece and Turkey.
The name comes from the Greek word for the black mountain Karadağ, where the complex clings to the rock face. Visitors enter a chapel whose wall paintings show scenes with Mary and Christ, while a spring in the courtyard has been providing water for centuries.
Access is via a winding path that takes about 30 minutes to walk up from the lower parking lot, with a minibus shortening the route. The site often closes during winter months due to snow and ice, so a visit in spring or summer is advisable.
A hidden passage was discovered during restoration work and connects different areas through the rock. The monks used this narrow passage for quick movement between the levels without having to take the outer paths.
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