After a lengthy restoration work and imminent danger to its immediate environs, the historic Sümela monastery in northern Turkey will finally be opened fully on Sunday.
The monastery, an architectural wonder on the face of a steep mountain in Trabzon province, is situated under a massive rock weighing 360 tons that protruded from the slope, precariously dangling over the monastery. Steel stakes, each 16 meters (52.4 feet) long, were used to reinforce the rock, to keep it in its place.
Trabzon Governor İsmail Ustaoğlu told Demirören News Agency (DHA) on Friday that the monastery, which was previously closed three times temporarily during restoration, has been in restoration since February 2016. The massive rocks atop the site had forced authorities to take extra measures as erosion over time made them even more dangerous. Explosives were used to tear apart part of the rock while climbers installed steel nets against the fall of pieces from the rock. Comprehensive work has been underway since November 2021 to keep the rock intact with steel stakes.
The governor says the restoration was already completed last year, but more reparation work was required, along with measures against the rock. "From Sunday, visitors can safely visit all parts of the monastery," he assured the public. He said they expected more visitors to the site as restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly the mandatory mask rule, were lifted. He said they also added more flights to Trabzon airport, including a flight from Tel Aviv, which will be inaugurated on Monday, to draw more visitors to the province.
Also known as Mother Mary, or Virgin Mary, the monastery is carved out of rocks in a wooded area on the slope of Mt. Karadağ in Maçka – 300 meters (984 feet) above the Altındere Valley.
It is included in UNESCO's temporary list of World Heritage sites. The monastery was reopened for religious practice on Aug. 15, 2010, with permission from the Culture and Tourism Ministry, following an 88-year hiatus. Five years later, it was closed over the risk of falling rocks and went into a long restoration process later.