The historic monastery of Panagia Soumela in Trabzon has set a record for the number of visitors, according to official figures released by the region’s culture and tourism body. Specifically, in the first nine months of this year, the number of visitors reached 402,718, while in the same period last year, the number reached 289,297.
Panagia Soumela is one of the most important and historic Orthodox pilgrimages worldwide and one of the most popular centers of religious tourism. The full opening of the monument, after the works carried out in recent years, was decided on July 1, 2021, and since that period a record number of visits has been recorded every year.
For the first time, the historic monastery was closed in September 2015, as at that time the work of fixing rocks that had been deemed dangerous began. After about five years, and specifically on July 28, 2020, the monument was partially opened to the public, with work continuing. The completion of the works was accompanied by the intense interest of the public to visit the monastery and admire this historic Orthodox pilgrimage.
