The first part of the Soumela Monastery is due to open in Trebizond, on the International Museum Day (May 18), according to a statement issued by the Minister of Tourism and Culture, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy.
The restoration work of the Monastery continues in recent years. It is expected that, in August 2019, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will be able to officiate.
One year before the restoration work commence, the visitors of the monastery were about 700,000. Religious tourism is one of the region’s main sources of income.
The Monastery, believed to have been founded in the 4th century AD, was closed to the public in 2015 for renovations in order to resolve the rockfall problem.
SOURCE: www.philenews.com
