Preparations for the opening in Sümela have been completed. Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is expected to attend the ceremony, which will be held on August 15, on the Feast of the Virgin Mary, while a quota of 100 people is reserved due to the pandemic.
Preparations for the ceremony to be held on August 15 at the historical Sümela Monastery in the Altındere Valley of the Maçka district of Trabzon have been completed.
It was stated that a quota of 100 people was reserved this year due to the pandemic for the ceremony on the anniversary of the Feast of the Virgin Mary, which is accepted as the ‘Ascension day of the Virgin Mary’ by Orthodox Christians on August 15.
After Christian Orthodox were allowed to hold services in Sumela Monastery once a year for one day, for the first time after 88 years since 15 August 2010, In the Sümela Monastery, which was closed to visitors on September 22, 2015 against the risk of rockfall and was taken under restoration, the first ritual since 2015 was held with a small number of participants last year under the shadow of the pandemic.
The last ritual in Sümela was held on August 15, 2015 with the participation of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. While it is expected that Patriarch Bartholomew will attend the mass to be held this year, the ritual will be held on August 15 between 09:00 and 12:30. It was stated that vehicles will not be allowed to pass from Maçka to the monastery road after 08:00 on 15 August due to the ritual. No visitors will be accepted to Sümela, except for those who will come to the mass. While a quota of 100 people will be reserved for this year’s mass due to the pandemic, accreditation will be given to about 50 members of the press. (Habertürk)
