Tour overview

 Sümela Monastery Sümela Monastery, built on a steep cliff at the foot of Karadağ overlooking the Altındere valley, within the borders of Altındere Village in Trabzon's Maçka District, is popularly known as "Mother Mary". The structure, which is about 300 meters above the valley, has continued the tradition of establishing monasteries outside the city, in forests, caves and waterfronts.

- It is said that the monastery founded in the name of the Virgin Mary took the name "Sümela" from the word "melas" meaning "black". Although it is thought that this name comes from the dark colored Montenegro where the monastery was founded, the word Sümela can be attributed to the black color of the depiction of Mary here.

- According to legend, the monastery was founded by two monks named Barnabas and Sophranios who came from Athens during the time of Byzantine Emperor Theodosius I (375-395), and was repaired by Belisarios, one of his generals, in the 6th century upon Emperor Justinian's request to repair and expand the monastery.

- Karaca Cave, which takes its name from the neighborhood of the village where it is located, is a magnificent natural wonder that nature has revealed by making millions of years of effort, patiently embroidered, every point of which is shown the same care. Karaca Cave, which is located just southwest of Karaca Neighborhood within the borders of Cebeli Village in Torul district of Gümüşhane, is 17 km from the city center and 1550 meters above sea level.

- Hamsiköy is an old accommodation place located 19km away from Maçka District on the northern route of the Silk Road from China and India to Europe at the northern foot of Mount Zigana. Its name comes from the Arabic Hamse village (Five villages) and consists of five separate settlements.

- Hamsiköy Sütlacı: The specialty of Hamsiköy Sütlacı is that the delicious milk originating from the floral flora of the region is cooked in a long time like an hour with a special cooking technique using only rice, sugar and salt.

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