Turkey's Sumela Monastery attracts worldwide visitors

Sumela Monastery, also known as the Virgin Mary, in Turkey's Black Sea province of Trabzon, has been attracting visitors despite ongoing restoration works.

Located in the Macka district of Trabzon, the Sumela Monastery is a site of historical and cultural significance as well as a major tourist attraction. It was included in UNESCO's temporary list of World Heritage sites in 2000.

Built on a steep cliff at 1,200 meters in Altındere National Park, the Sumela Monastery reopened for religious use on Aug. 15, 2010 with the permission of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, following an 88-year hiatus.

Ali Ayvazoğlu, the provincial head of the Culture and Tourism Ministry, told Anadolu Agency that the monastery draws the attention of foreign and local tourists despite being closed to visits due to restoration works.

"Sumela Monastery has been closed for restoration since September of 2015. Our visitors were able to see Sumela even though the restoration has been continuing from 2016 till now," Ayvazoğlu said.

Ayvazoğlu said around 300,000 people visited the monastery in the first eight months of this year.

More than 500,000 visitors are expected to see the Sumela by the end of 2018, he added.

According to UNESCO website, the Sumela is a monastic complex built onto the steeps and cliffs of the Altındere Valley. Its construction began in 385 A.D.