Sümela Monastery Draws Visitors After Reopening

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The monastic complex in the Altındere National Park hosted around 50 thousand tourists in June after it opened to visitors on May 25 following three years of restoration work.

Located in the Maçka district of Trabzon, the monastery is built on a cliff at an altitude of 1,200 meters. As a site of historical and cultural significance and a major tourist attraction, it was included in UNESCO's temporary list of World Heritage sites in 2000.

Photo: Wikipedia

Ali Ayvazoglu, the provincial head of the Culture and Tourism Ministry, said that they aim to welcome a total of 500 thousand local and foreign tourists this year.

Photo: AA

The monastery was also reopened for religious use on August 15, 2010, with the permission of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, following an 88-year hiatus.

The restoration and environmental planning of the Sümela Monastery were launched in February 2016.

Photo: Carl Campbell / Flickr

The cliff-face monastery drew the attention of foreign and local tourists despite being closed to visit due to restoration work, Ayvazoglu said.

According to the UNESCO website, the construction of the monastery had begun in 385 A.D. (AÖ)

Source: AA