Sumela Monastery

The Sumela Monastery (Turkish: Sümela Manastırı, Greek: Παναγία Σουμελά, German: Our Lady of Sumela ) is a former Greek Orthodox Monastery of the Byzantine period in the north-east Turkey in Macka ( province of Trabzon ). The name comes from the Greek Melas ( black), after the Greek name of the mountain on which the monastery stands.

Location

The monastery is located 45 km south of Trabzon in Altindere National Park in Zigana Mountains ( Pontic Mountains) in 1071 m height. It is about 270 m above a canyon of Altindere ( in antiquity: Pyxites ) carved and built into the rock.

History

According to legend, the icon that supposed to have been painted by Luke the Evangelist himself was, after his death by two angels carried through the clouds in a cave in the - at that time - the Pontic Mountains. Two young hermit who lived in Athens, Barnabas and his nephew Sophronius, have also been invited by the angels of wandering and discovered the icon in a cave in the forest with waterfalls. That was probably in the year 385 and already, as so many lives in the cave of early Christian hermits. The cave has been expanded and built into a chapel.

In 500 Emperor Anastasius promoted the construction of a monastery. 640 it was destroyed by fire. The monk from the monastery Christophoros Vazelon built it up again. In the 12th century it was again destroyed, allegedly by robbers, who were looking for the icon. The icon was recovered intact from the river.

The oldest surviving buildings date from the Komnenenzeit. Here Alexios III was. (1338-1390) on 21 May 1350 and his son Manuel III ( 1390-1417 ) crowned as Emperor of the Empire of Trebizond. Even after the conquest by the Ottomans in 1461, the monastery remained and became an important place of pilgrimage.

Its present appearance the monastery in the 19th century, were built as a building with monks' cells before the actual rock church. After the First World War, the Greek population on the Pontus in the attempt to establish a separate republic, Atatürk defeated the troops, had the monks to leave the cloister in 1926 (→ Greek - Turkish population exchange ). The relics were hidden in a nearby chapel and could be brought 1930 on intervention of Turkish Prime Minister Ismet Inonu to Greece. Today they are in the same foundation in the Greek Kastania / Veria Macedonia from the year 1951.

The monastery fell into disrepair after a devastating fire in 1930 and further, until it was placed in 1972 by the Turkish government as a national heritage under protection and is open to visitors.

Religious significance

The monastery is an important place of pilgrimage not only for Christians but also Muslims. It is the " Panhaghia tou Melas " ( Most Holy of the Black Mountain ) dedicated to the mother of Jesus Christ, or for the Muslims of the mother of the Prophet Isa, of which it is called " Meryem ana Manastiri " (Mother - Mary Convent ) also.

In the monastery as relics included the above Icon, said to have been painted by Luke the Evangelist and a splinter of the Cross, on which Jesus died. With this cross relic, the water was ordained from the heal ing wells monthly, which took the pilgrims against all imaginable suffering.

In 2005, it was announced Sumela, "one of the most important monasteries in Christendom ", should be reopened as a monastery, according to Turkish authorities. In 2010 submitted an application to the Turkish Government to be allowed to protrude to the Virgin Mary Dormition on August 15, where a Divine Liturgy of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. The positive decision has been on 8 June of Culture and Tourism Minister Ertugrul Günay and performed the liturgy on August 15 with great sympathy of Orthodox Christians.

Building

A long, narrow staircase leads to the entrance of the monastery, which is flanked with guardhouse. A further staircase leads to the courtyard.

The most important parts are the Rock Church, several chapels, study rooms, a guest house, a library, and the holy wells. An aqueduct, which is built on the rock wall, supplied the monastery with water and has now been restored.

On the right side in front of the cave church is the library. Sixty-six of the mainly dating from the 17th and 18th century manuscripts have been cataloged and are now in the Museum of Ankara. Additional 1000 decorated with miniatures Tetra Gospels ( the four Gospels ) from the Byzantine period are located in the Hagia Sophia museum in Istanbul. Among the other treasures of the monastery there is a Silver Cross relic of Manuel III. , A handwritten manuscript and a large number of documents in the Museum of Byzantine Art in Athens, a icon of the monastery " Lady of the roses" is now in the National Gallery in Dublin. Other is privately owned and the Benaki Museum in Athens.

The Turkish influence can be seen in the design of the cabinets, alcoves and fireplaces in the buildings around the courtyard.

Frescoes

The inner and outer walls of the Rock Church and the adjacent chapel are decorated with frescoes. The illustrations on the inside of the wall to the courtyard of the rock church date from the time of Alexios III. The portraits of Alexius and Manuel have not survived. The exterior frescoes date from the early 18th century by giving scenes from the Old and New Testaments again, and the Council of Nicaea, Nicaea.

There parts of a large representation of the Apocalypse have been saved. A dragon and two mounted saints ( George and Demetrios ) are displayed on a wall of a small chapel. Under the visible color layer three layers were discovered. At the top of the bottom layer of the figure of a ruler was presented with a diadem, a similar figure was painted over it and over it a metamorphosis - the change in perceptions of Christ on Mount Tabor. 100 m north of the monastery there are chapels, which were also cut into the mountain and are decorated with frescoes. Since 1998, the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry restored the monastery, the frescoes are cleaned and repaired, the main building has a new roof.