Monastery
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Sumela Monastery
Perched precariously on a steep, sheer cliff face 1,200 meters above sea level in the Altındere Valley of Trabzon Province, Sumela Monastery is a breathtaking 4th-century Greek Orthodox complex dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Carved directly into living rock, this UNESCO-tentative landmark is renowned for its vibrant biblical frescoes, sacred mountain spring, and persistent legends of phantom Orthodox monks who patrol its foggy stone balconies and rock-cut staircases.