Sümela Monastery

A Byzantine Greek Orthodox monastery founded in the fourth century, built into a near-vertical cliff face in the Pontic Mountains south of Trabzon. The monastery clings to the rock wall at an elevation of around 1,200 meters, accessed by a steep forested path above the Altındere valley. Its interior chapels are covered with multiple layers of frescoes spanning different centuries, and the surrounding national park adds a lush green context that amplifies the drama of the site.