Sümela Monastery

Sümela Monastery is a historic Greek Orthodox monastery built into a steep limestone cliff above the Altındere valley. Its cliffside churches, frescoes and monastic rooms form a vertical complex tied to Byzantine and later medieval Christian practice.

The nucleus of the monastery includes the rock-cut Virgin Mary church with frescoed interiors, cells and service spaces connected by stairways and terraces. Many of the surviving structures date to medieval rebuilding phases, with fresco cycles and architectural elements from different periods.

According to tradition the monastery’s foundation dates to the late 4th century AD, though most modern architectural evidence reflects Byzantine and later medieval reconstruction and expansion. The site served as a major monastic centre until the early 20th century and has undergone conservation and selective restoration in recent decades.

The monastery is set high on a cliff face in the Altındere valley near the town of Maçka, on the inland side of Turkey’s Black Sea coast; the valley below is forested and steep.

• Founding tradition: Tradition holds the monastery was founded in AD 386; much of the visible architecture belongs to later Byzantine and late medieval phases and to renovations by the Empire of Trebizond.
• Location and access: The complex is perched on a steep cliff at roughly 1,200 metres elevation, giving it a commanding view over the Altındere valley and making access via steps and switchbacks necessary.

What to See #

• Main monastery complex: The rock-cut main monastery complex including the Virgin Mary church with frescoed interiors and monks' cells built into the cliff face.
• Ancillary structures: Auxiliary chapels, kitchens and guest rooms carved into the limestone cliff and connected by stairways and terraces overlooking the valley below.