ASIA/TURKEY - The Divine Mysteries will be celebrated at Sumela Monastery, usually closed for

[Agenzia_Fides]

Trabzon (Agenzia Fides) – The historical Sumela Monastery, located in the north of Turkey, will be opened for one-day worship on August 15. The monastery, which stands at the foot of a steep cliff facing the Altindere valley, is an important tourist attraction in the region and regular religious services, seen as an obstacle to tourism, were banned years ago . The monastery is a pearl of historical, artistic and religious value, connected with Saint Barnabas and Monk Sophronius, and the icon of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Black Mountain, which, according to tradition, was painted by Saint Luke the evangelist. The monastery is a site of pilgrimage for Orthodox Christians This year – according to Fides sources– Turkish officials decided to open the monastery for worship for one day, August 15, in view of a recent considerable increase in ‘religious tourism’, especially pilgrimages during the recent Year of Saint Paul when many people visited Christian holy places in Turkey. Fides sources say it is possible to celebrate Mass at Sumela Monastery, in the Monastery garden for a small group and at a time and date set by the authorities. This is granted by "special concession”: “Such obvious obstacles to religious freedom give an idea of the daily difficulties experienced by Christians in Turkey”, Fides source concludes. ¶ (Agenzia Fides 24/6/2010)

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[Dale_M]

Here is a photo.

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It looks hard to get to!

 

[Dale_M]

Here is a bit more on the decision to allow a religious service at the monastery:

Turkish Association of Travel Agents (TÜRSAB) Black Sea regional executive board head Suat Gürkök said that Aug. 15 – the Feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos according to the Orthodox liturgical calendar (also known as the Assumption of Mary) – is a very significant holy day for Christians.

Gürkök said the monastery is an important contribution to both the country and the region’s tourism. “Opening the monastery for services [for a day] will provide some important income, but for these earnings to be high plans should be made so that visitors will stay overnight. In general, foreign tourists arrive in the morning via plane or by ship and then leave that same night. Their economic contribution to the region would be more if the infrastructure was there to encourage them to spend the night.”

He said normally 1,500 people attend illegal, unofficial services at the monastery, saying he expected this number to double or even triple this year. He said the monastery’s infrastructure was not adequate to fit more than a certain number of people. “If the number of people attending the service is too much, perhaps this should be limited, the same way there is a quota for the Muslim pilgrimage. This first service is very important, so we’ll have an idea for the following years.”

todayszaman.com/tz-web/news-212738-101-sumela-service-to-popularize-trabzon-as-faith-tourism-destination.html