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All 8 Trabzon Attractions »

Sumela Monastery

Altindere National Park, Trabzon, Turkey
Ranked #1 of 8 attractions in Trabzon
5.0 of 5 stars 19 Reviews
Type: Historic Sites, Ancient Ruins, Lookouts
Activities: Group tours/walking tour
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19 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
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    4
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Date Rating
Melbourne, Australia
Senior Contributor
24 reviews 24 reviews
Reviews in 15 cities Reviews in 15 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 May 2012

Not all of the monestry ıs open as a good part of ıt ıs stıll beıng renovated.

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See 3 more reviews by havachatkiwi for Trabzon
Athens, Greece
Senior Contributor
34 reviews 34 reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
11 helpful votes 11 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 3 May 2012
1
person found this review helpful

This is the only monastery-unfortunately not so well preserved- that I saw that had mural ecclesiastical paintings at the outside walls. This s the place that creates the impression tha tyou are closer to God.A must see!!!!

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See 2 more reviews by georgepap_10 for Trabzon
Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Senior Contributor
21 reviews 21 reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
17 helpful votes 17 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 29 April 2012
1
person found this review helpful

The whole Blacksea region do not attract many foreigners but it is certainly worth going there. I liked Trabzon a lot. I stayed Zitas Hotel at Macka. It is a highly recommended hotel at a high point of a mountain with wooden houses, great view, fresh air and other facilities. The second day I visited Sumela Monastery. There are two... More

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Sydney
Top Contributor
111 reviews 111 reviews
Reviews in 58 cities Reviews in 58 cities
48 helpful votes 48 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 9 April 2012
3
people found this review helpful

"Perched on a cliff" is a bit of a cliché but there is no other way to describe the Sumela Monastery. Set amongst beautiful mountains, but only a short drive from Trabzon, this is an essential day trip if you're in the area. The Metro and Ulusoy bus companies arrange tours for TL25 each which take you up to the... More

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See 3 more reviews by samurai_dave for Trabzon
Orlová
Senior Reviewer
9 reviews 9 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 February 2012

The Monastery form in the 13th century. Monastery complex - Rock Church. several chapels, kitchen, student room, guesthouse, library..... Frescoes - biblical scenes.

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Edinburg, Texas
Contributor
15 reviews 15 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 9 February 2012

We had some extra time in the Trabzon area, before John's flight. We were very glad that we visited, and highly recommend that others do so! The hike up from the giftshop area was challenging and we sweated a bit in the moist air. The sweat was worth it, to see the gnarled trees on the steep, misty slope. The... More

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New York
Senior Contributor
40 reviews 40 reviews
Reviews in 26 cities Reviews in 26 cities
23 helpful votes 23 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 29 December 2011
2
people found this review helpful

An impressive place in a magical surrounding. Please note that if you travel here in winter, there is a challenging hike to the monastery.

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Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam
Top Contributor
74 reviews 74 reviews
Reviews in 27 cities Reviews in 27 cities
48 helpful votes 48 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 25 December 2011
1
person found this review helpful

Sumela Monastery is about 30kms from the city of Trabzon. I don't know how to do it on our own, so we let our hotel arranged the transport for us. It's a shared van with about a dozen of us costs TL20 to and from the base of the mountain. From the base where there are restaurants amidst the flowing... More

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California
Senior Contributor
28 reviews 28 reviews
Reviews in 20 cities Reviews in 20 cities
28 helpful votes 28 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 31 August 2011
3
people found this review helpful

A former Greek Orthodox monastery, now an outdoor museum, this 1700 year old landmark is outstanding. Built into what seems to be an inaccessible cliff on a mountainside, the monastery is huge in proportions. There are rock chapels with beautiful frescoes dating to the 1700s, kitchens, storage rooms, housing, classrooms, and library among other areas. An aqueduct was constructed to... More

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Liverpool
Top Contributor
69 reviews 69 reviews
Reviews in 16 cities Reviews in 16 cities
45 helpful votes 45 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 29 July 2011
6
people found this review helpful

We went to Sumela on a day trip (via local tour company) from Trabzon, taking about an hour either way. For the last few km, the bus winds through increasingly scenic mountainous valleys, covered in pine forests, interspersed with fast-flowing streams. I am told that usually it is very cloudy and foggy, making the experience more eerie, but we had... More

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See 2 more reviews by Bielding for Trabzon

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