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Trabzon and the Sumela Monastery, Trabzon, Turkey

by Rachel_Paiste, 09/20/2009 10:09

Category: Trip Ideas

You adventure begins in the Black Sea city of Trabzon.  Tripology travel agents can book your flights to the city, and help you rent a car. (Flying is not an option for some of the towns on this itinerary, and driving is much more time effective than traveling by bus).
    Trabzon played an important role in the Silk Road connecting Europe and Asia.  The gems today are the 13th century Aya Sofia Church and Ataturk’s Villa.  The Aya Sofia sits on a bluff overlooking the Black Sea, and is filled with impressively preserved frescoes.  Ataturk’s villa is an unimposing yet lovely structure high in the hills looking down on the city.   The best place to take in sweeping views of Trabzon is the tea gardens, also in the hills.
     Be sure to eat hamsi, the anchovies that the region is known for (often served battered and friend, or wrapped around a green olive).  Another Trabazon specialty is the hazelnut.  Once regarded as the symbol of peace and health, today’s area locals produce 80% of the world supply of hazelnuts.  (You can buy some at the bazaar.)
    Though Eastern Turkey does not have the wealth of Istanbul or even Ankara, there are still nice accommodations for travelers.  The most luxurious in the city is the Zorlu Grand Hotel, and the Usta Park Hotel is a great mid-priced option.  For a lower-budget trip, Hotel Nur is a nice, clean option, and the staff speak some English (not always true for budget inns).
    After a great nights sleep (this near-dry city is not known for its nightlife) drive up to the Sumela Monastery.


     Tucked neatly into the 15,000 ft. Kaçkar Mountains, Sumela has been in use since 375 AD.   Knowing that it’s there will not abet your surprise as you catch your first glimpses of the Sumela Monastery while winding up the Kaçkar Mountains.
    Active until the 1920’s, the Sumela Monastery (or Monastery of the Virgin) is an impressive feat of architecture.  The first parts of the Orthodox monastery were begun when churches were carved into the rock face.  The shrine was expanded in 1340 to home an icon of the Virgin.  Though she is no longer here, the frescoes that remain in the church are stunning (Some from the 14th century, others more recent, of the 18th).  The  paintings cover the inside and the outside of the chapel, and with the exception of a few that suffered the wrath of neighborhood boys and their BB guns, they are in excellent condition.
     Currently the Monastery is only partially open, as it is undergoing restorations, but the parts you can visit are more than enough to leave you satisfied.
 
Your next stop in the ancient city of Ani.  For a more detailed description of the absolutely stunning ruins, click here.

Filed under:  Religious Tourism, Eastern Turkey, Trip Ideas
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