It seems to cling to the cliffs, and 520,000 people have visited this year: Sümela

A total of 520,000 people had visited the monastery as of September 15, 2026. This is the highest number of visitors ever recorded for Sümela Monastery.

If visitor interest continues through the rest of the year, Sümela is expected to welcome more than 600,000 visitors in 2026.

The monastery is open to tourists throughout the year, although it was temporarily closed during some periods because of falling rocks. It reopened after the necessary work was completed. On particularly busy days, the number of visitors to Sümela reached or exceeded 5,000.

Other projects aimed at increasing the tourism potential of the region's historic heritage are also underway. Project and renovation work continues at the Vazelon and Kuştul monasteries, which have not yet been opened to visitors.

Once these projects are completed, the region's historic monasteries are expected to become part of a broader cultural and historical route.

About Sümela Monastery
Located in Maçka district of Trabzon, Sümela Monastery was built on a steep rocky cliff on the slopes of Karadağ, overlooking the Altındere Valley. It appears to cling to the mountainside.
Its full name is Panagia Sumela (Virgin Mary of Sümela) or Theotokos Sumela, although it is also known as "Meryem Ana" (Virgin Mary).

The monastery stands 1,150 meters above sea level and 300 meters above the valley. It is included on UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List. According to records, Sümela was a school for training monks.

Its name is thought to derive from the Greek word melas, meaning "black," as the old name of Karadağ was also Mela. Sümela welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.

Sümela's history is surrounded by numerous legends. The monastery is believed to have been founded during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Theodosius I (375–395) by two monks, Barnabas and Sophronios.
It was later restored and expanded during the Komnenos dynasty, with the monastery being significantly expanded and developed during the reign of Alexios III.

Following the Ottoman conquest of the eastern Black Sea coast, the Ottoman sultans protected Sümela Monastery's rights, as they did at many other monasteries, and granted it certain privileges.

Several sections of Sümela Monastery were renovated in the 18th century, and some of its walls were decorated with frescoes. The monastery took its final form in the 19th century.

Vazelon