26 May, 2012
All 22 of us were looking forward to our next stop on the tourist trail with great anticipation. Our mini bus had to wind it's way high up into the Karadag Mountain to reach the incredibly spectacular Sumela Monastery which precariously clings to the cliff face at 1200m (3900').
The Sumela Monastery is a Greek Orthodox Monastery founded in 386 AD by two priests who claimed to have found an icon of the Virgin Mary in a cave on the mountain. It is now dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is a site of great historical, religious and cultural significance, as well as a major tourist attraction.
(Remember to click on the photos to enlarge them)
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| The Sumela Monastery in the Amazing Setting |
Throughout it's long history the Sumela Monastery has fallen into ruins and been restored several times as well as being occupied by the founding priests and their subsequent followers as well as the Ottomans, Greeks and in 1916-1918 the Russians. It was abandoned in 1923 but by 2012 the Turkish Government was funding a restoration programme.
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| A Closer View |
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| The "Back Yard" of the Monastery |
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| The Inner Area |
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| The Rock Church with Tourists! |
Once again Tom did an amazing job capturing the beautiful frescos which are seriously damaged and without any "tourist heads and bodies in the photo! The main subject of the frescos are biblical scenes telling the story of Christ and the Virgin Mary.
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| Fran with a few of our Group. |
Just as we were about to leave and climb down the 100's of steps through the forest to our transport, the "heavens"" opened up and soon we were all drenched. It was so treacherous on the wet steep, mossy, slimy steps that we even forgot to take photos. By the time we reached our van we were all saturated and freezing cold!
Never-the-less we would love to visit this incredible Monastery again. If you are even in this remote corner of Turkey ensure you visit it as you won't be disappointed.
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