Turkey plans bird's-eye view of Sumela Monastery

Turkey is working on a new cable car project that will give tourists a unique way to explore the historic Sumela Monastery in the country's northeast, an official said on Thursday.

Sumela, a monastic complex dating back to 385 A.D., is built into a rocky cliff in Altındere Valley in Turkey's Black Sea province of Trabzon.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Trabzon Mayor Murat Zorluoğlu said the historic site draws a large number of tourists every year from Turkey and abroad.

He was confident the cable car project will greatly enhance tourists' experience. "Visitors will get a beautiful aerial view of the monastery and the trip up to the site will also be much shorter," said Zorluoğlu.

He added that there will be three stations for the 2,500-meter cable car project.

Located in the Maçka district of Trabzon, the monastery is a site of historical and cultural significance and one of Turkey's major tourist attraction. It was included in UNESCO's temporary list of World Heritage sites in 2000.

Sumela stands at a height of 1,200 meters in Altındere National Park and was reopened for religious use in August 2010, following an 88-year hiatus.