10-09 Trabzon, Turkey

This city of 1 million people got its name from its “table-top” shape which forms a rough trapezoid. Today it is a shipping center with a booming export trade.  The highway runs along the water with the city built up on the hillside. 

We did not take the morning tour which saw the city itself with its own Hagia Sophia Church modeled on the muck larger one in Istanbul.  There is also a famous mosque in the city, the Ortahisar Faith Mosque, which dates back to the Byzantine period and is one of the best remaining examples of Ottoman decorative art.  I guess we were a bit church/mosqued out!

However, we did take the afternoon tour to one of Trabzon’s unique icons, the Sumela Monastery which was about 25 miles south of the city. What makes this so unique is that was built into the side of a cliff 1,000 feet above the Altindere Valley. 

Unfortunately, it was raining and foggy when we went, so we didn’t get good pictures of it from below or looking out from the top.  This is a picture of a tapestry that gives you an idea of how it “hangs” on the side of a cliff.  If you Google it, you will see why we wanted to go see it. However, the drive up through the mountains reminded us of Rocky Mountain National Park – it was really picturesque!

The name “Sumela” comes from a Greek name that means “Virgin of the black rock,” and the Virgin has been associated with the site since the 4th century AD when Athenian monk Barnabas brought an icon depicting her to the rock face and declared it to be her home.  It was a well respected monastic center from the 4th century until 1923 when the Turkish Republic was created. 

The principal elements are the Rock Church which is like a cave, several chapels, kitchens, student rooms, a guesthouse, library and sacred spring (which we did not see.)  This is looking down upon it as we descended the steep stairs to get here.  Since the rooms are empty, it was hard to know what each one housed.  If the weather had been clear, we would have been able to see great views of the mountains from the windows in the rooms.

The frescoes are amazing.  There were some outside which have been weathered by the elements as well as by graffiti.  The ones inside the Rock church were in amazingly good shape.  They are on the walls and the ceiling. 

It was an amazing site to see – even though the weather was not the best.  We took our tour bus to the base, then took a mini van to the highest they could get us before we had to walk.

There were lots of steep stairs, but the worst was walking up and down the wet tree roots on a dirt (mud with the rain) path.  It was pretty slow going, but well worth it.  Along the way, a man was selling warm hazelnuts as well as giving us a sample.  They were wonderful!

Back at the bottom where we met our vans, we had a chance to have a cup of tea which helped warm us up.  It was a bit chilly on the mountainside, especially with the fog and misty rain. 

We learned some more interesting facts about Turkey during the bus ride.  They are home to 25 different kinds of cherries; women can work, but not as waitresses because the Turkish men don’t want their women serving other men; import all their coffee since they don’t have coffee farms; you don’t see homeless people or beggars because families have to much pride so they take care of their own; many buildings remained unfinished because they don’t have to pay taxes unless it’s finished; the don’t need to import food – they produce all they need; lots of trout farms and lots of trout exported.

Also, Turkey is divided into 7 regions.  They are all very different.  They dress differently in each one and they all have different types of music.  Most of the songs are about nature.

Since I’m behind in my Blogs (we are now almost to Venice as I write this) I have no idea what we did back on ship this evening.  It was not very exciting whatever it was!!!  But it was a great day.