About this Place
One location, many impressions
Sumela Monastery clings to a sheer cliff in the Altındere valley south of Trabzon, about 1,200 metres up. Tradition says it was founded in the 4th century and dedicated to the Virgin Mary; most of the present buildings date from the 13th–19th centuries. The rock-cut church still holds Byzantine frescoes. A forest path or a shuttle bus climbs from the valley, and from below there is a striking view of the monastery seemingly glued to the rock.
