Sumela Monastery

Sumela Monastery

Μονή Παναγίας Σουμελά, Sümela Manastırı
View of Sumela monastery from across the valley
Location within Turkey
Monastery information
Established	c. 386 CE
Disestablished	1923
Architecture
Status	Ruins
Functional status	Tourist attraction
Heritage designation	Tentative UNESCO World Heritage Site[1]
Site
Location	Maçka, Trabzon Province, Turkey
Coordinates	40°41′24″N 39°39′30″E / 40.69000°N 39.65833°E / 40.69000; 39.65833
Public access	Yes
Website	www.sumela.gov.tr

Sumela Monastery (Greek: Μονή Παναγίας Σουμελά, Moní Panagías Soumelá; Turkish: Sümela Manastırı) is a museum and former Greek Orthodox monastery in the Pontic Mountains, in the Maçka district of Trabzon Province in modern Turkey.

Nestled in a steep cliff at an elevation of about 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) facing the Altındere valley, it is a site of great historical and cultural significance, as well as a major tourist attraction within Altındere National Park. Due to an increase in rock falls, on 22 September 2015, the monastery was closed to the public for safety reasons for the duration of one year to resolve the problem; this was later extended to three years. It reopened to tourists 25 May 2019.^[2] The monastery is one of the most important historic and touristic venues in Trabzon.^[3]