Trabzon - Sümela Monastery

Sümela Monastery take place on a steep cliff of Trabzon. This place also known as “Meryem Ana” or “the Virgin Mary”. It was founded in 386, during the reign of the Emperor Theodosius I. According to legend, two Athenian priests, Barnabas and Sophronius, found the icon of the Virgin Mary in a cave of the mountain and built the Sümela Monastery here. Monastry has ruined and restored many times in the history. In the Ottoman era, Sümela Monastery protected by Sultan's order, but it was abandoned and badly damaged during the War of Independence. It is one of the most visited place in the Black Sea area.