Panagia Sumela Monastery is a Christian monastery located 50 km southeast of the current city of Trabzon in Turkey. It is one of the oldest Orthodox churches in the world, having been founded in the 4th century. The ascent to the monastery is very difficult, since the monastery is located at an altitude of 1200 m on the slopes of Mount Mela, in the area occupied by the Turkish national park Altindere (Altindere Milli Parki).
The monastery, probably founded in 375-395 by the monk Barnabas, was badly damaged in the 6th century after the invasions of the Arabs, but was rebuilt by St. Sophronius. In the 18th-19th centuries, the monastery flourished. The monks left the monastery at the beginning of the 20th century. The monastery was burned down by a severe fire in the 1920s, and restoration work has not been completed to this day.
Since the end of the 4th century, the icon of the Mother of God, working miracles, and written, according to legend, by the Apostle Luke himself, was kept in the monastery.
In the 1920s, during the exchange of population between Greece and Turkey, the image was taken to a monastery in the village of Kastania near the city of Veria in Greece, where it currently resides.
In 2010, for the first time since 1922, a church service was held at the monastery of Panagia Sumela.
The monastery, probably founded in 375-395 by the monk Barnabas, was badly damaged in the 6th century after the invasions of the Arabs, but was rebuilt by St. Sophronius. In the 18th-19th centuries, the monastery flourished. The monks left the monastery at the beginning of the 20th century. The monastery was burned down by a severe fire in the 1920s, and restoration work has not been completed to this day.
Since the end of the 4th century, the icon of the Mother of God, working miracles, and written, according to legend, by the Apostle Luke himself, was kept in the monastery.
In the 1920s, during the exchange of population between Greece and Turkey, the image was taken to a monastery in the village of Kastania near the city of Veria in Greece, where it currently resides.
In 2010, for the first time since 1922, a church service was held at the monastery of Panagia Sumela.
Translated automatically from Russian. View original
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