It is located within the boundaries of Altındere Village of Maçka District of Trabzon, on the outskirts of Karadağ which dominates Altındere valley, approximately 300 m. Sumela Monastery, which was built on a cave and plain located in a steep rock at a height and enlarged over time, is known as the "Virgin Mary" among the people. Sümela was built outside the settlement area of the Monasteries, in a location suitable for the tradition of being established next to forests, caves and holy waters. It is said that the name of the monastery, which was founded in the name of the Virgin Mary, was taken from the word "molasses", which means "black". Although it is thought that this name comes from the dark-colored Montenegro where the monastery was founded, the word Sumela can also be attributed to the black color of the Virgin Mary here.
According to the legend; The monastery, which was founded by two monks, Barnabas and Sophranios, who came from Athens during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Theodosius I (375-395), was repaired by Belisarios, one of his generals, in the 6th century, when the Eastern Roman Emperor Justinianus requested that the monastery be repaired and expanded. III. During the reign of Alexios (1349-1390), the importance of the monastery increased and income was provided to the monastery with edicts. III. Son of Alexios III. During the reign of Manuel and later princes, Sumela was enriched with new edicts. After the eastern Black Sea coast came under Turkish rule after 1461, the Ottoman Sultans did not touch the rights of Sumela, as in many monasteries, and even gave some new privileges.
In the 18th century, many parts of the Sumela Monastery were renovated and the church walls were decorated with new frescoes. With the addition of large buildings in the 19th century, the monastery gained a magnificent appearance, and in this period, the monastery lived its richest and brightest period. During the Russian occupation of Trabzon between 1916 and 1918, the monastery was seized, and after 1923, when the Muslim-Greek exchange took place, the monastery was completely emptied. The main sections of the Sumela Monastery are; bedrock church, several chapels, kitchen, student rooms, guesthouse, library and holy holy spring. This group of buildings was built on a very large area.
