page_title: Sumela Monastery
hierarchical_section_title: Sumela Monastery
caption_attribution_description: English: This photo shows the fairly dramatic location of Sümela Monastery, on a ledge in a steep cliff.
context_page_description: Sumela Monastery is a Greek Orthodox monastery dedicated to the Virgin Mary located at Karadağ within the Pontic Mountains, in the Maçka district of Trabzon Province in modern Turkey.
  Nestled in a steep cliff at an altitude of about 1,200 metres facing the Altındere valley, it is a site of great historical and cultural significance, as well as a major tourist attraction within Altındere National Park. Due to an increase in rock falls, on 22 September 2015 the monastery was closed to the public for safety reasons for the duration of one year to resolve the problem; this was later extended to three years. It reopened to tourists 25 May 2019. The Monastery is one of the most important historic and touristic venues in Trabzon.
context_section_description: Sumela Monastery (Greek: Μονή Παναγίας Σουμελά, Moní Panagías Soumelá; Turkish: Sümela Manastırı) is a Greek Orthodox monastery dedicated to the Virgin Mary  located at Karadağ (Greek: Sou Melá, meaning "Black Mountain") within the Pontic Mountains, in the Maçka district of Trabzon Province in modern Turkey.
  Nestled in a steep cliff at an altitude of about 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) facing the Altındere valley, it is a site of great historical and cultural significance, as well as a major tourist attraction within Altındere National Park. Due to an increase in rock falls, on 22 September 2015 the monastery was closed to the public for safety reasons for the duration of one year to resolve the problem; this was later extended to three years. It reopened to tourists 25 May 2019. The Monastery is one of the most important historic and touristic venues in Trabzon.
caption: The monastery is on a ledge in a steep cliff
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