Icon of the Mother of God "Oranta. Liturgy in an ancient monastery in Turkey

Having adopted the Christian faith many centuries ago, the Greeks of Asia Minor, and especially Pontus, carefully preserved it, remaining faithful to it throughout their entire historical path. They loved their fertile land, treated with awe and reverence everything that was created on this land, and especially the Christian shrines that became symbols of their faith. One of these shrines is the monastery of Panagia Sumela, famous throughout the Christian world, where the icon of the Mother of God Panagia Sumela (“All Saint from Mount Mela”) was located.

Panagia Sumela is the creed of the Greeks of Pontus. The first name of Her miraculous image, written by the Evangelist Luke himself, was Panagia Afiniotissa, that is, the Most Holy Theotokos of Athens.
The fact is that the Apostle Luke was not only an evangelist, but also the first icon painter. Moreover, he is considered the patron saint of doctors and painters. As the Greek historian Neophyte Kavsokalivit notes in his writings, the apostle Luke first engraved icons on hard wood, and then painted them. According to legend, Luke created three icons Mother of God, the fate of each of which turned out differently: he gave one of them to the temple on the island of Cyprus, the other to the temple on the Peloponnese peninsula, and the third icon had to go through thorny path- from Greece to Pontus, to Mount Mela, and from there again to Greece.

The material on the history of the icon of Panagia painted by Luke was published in 1775 by Archimandrite Parthenius Metaxopoulos and the historian Neophyte Kavsokalivit. According to them, Luke gave the icon he painted to one of the churches in the city of Thebes. After his death, his disciple named Ananias transferred her to the largest Orthodox church in the city of Athens, from where she received her first name - “Panagia Afiniotissa”.
Historical documents and imperial decrees that have survived to this day on the founding of the Sumel Monastery at the end of the 4th century confirm the fact of the stay of the holy Apostle Luke in the Roman province of Achaia in the north of the Peloponnese peninsula, his martyrdom and burial in the neighboring province of Bethia at the age of eighty-four years.

The monastery of Panagia Sumela grew, grew richer and became more and more famous, and became the most influential and wealthy in the Pontic land. The emperors of the Byzantine Empire, and then of Trebizond, from the Komnenos dynasty, patronized him and made rich donations. It is known that a precious, most skillfully carved cross with large particles of the Cross of the Crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ inlaid in it was a gift from Manuel Komnenos III. Another emperor, Alexei Komnenos III, in gratitude to Panagia Sumela for miraculous salvation during the storm he allocated huge funds for the renovation of all the buildings of the Monastery and for the construction of new ones defensive towers. Also in the monastery were the relics of Saints Barnabas, Sophronius and Christopher. The monastery of Panagia Sumela was self-governing and had great privileges.

After the capture of Trebizond in 1461 and the occupation of Pontus by the Turks, the affairs of the monastery continued to go surprisingly well. There is a legend about the monastery of Panagia Sumela. One day, Sultan Selim (1512-1520) accidentally wandered here while hunting. He was fascinated by the unusual location on the slope of the cliff and the beauty of the monastery. But religious fanaticism turned out to be stronger, and he ordered the burning of the Christian shrine. But having given this order, he immediately fell off his horse, trembled in convulsions, foam appeared on his lips. The servants of the Sultan began to beg him to cancel such a cruel decision, and as soon as he did this, he instantly received healing. Since then, a decree on the privileges of the monastery came into force, which was followed by more than one generation of Turkish rulers. Indeed, for many years of Ottoman rule, no one dared to touch the monastery. Moreover, he was not taxed. Residents of the nearby Greek settlements of the areas of Matsuka, Santa and Surmena supplied the monastery with the necessary products, and in case of danger, they stood up with weapons in their hands Orthodox church.

During the 16 centuries of its existence, the Monastery of Panagia Sumela has become famous not only as a religious, but also as a major cultural and educational center. The rarest ancient manuscripts were stored and copied in his library. Suffice it to say that out of 52 Greek manuscripts kept in the Ankara Museum, 34 were removed from the library of the Panagia Sumela Monastery. Thanks to the painstaking work of bookbinders, the works of many ancient philosophers and writers have been preserved for history.

In 1922, the genocide of Orthodox Pontic Hellenism was committed. Blinded by religious fanaticism, the Turks slaughtered the Christians. The victims of this terrible genocide were 350,000 innocent Pontic Greeks, and the survivors were forcibly evicted and dispersed in many countries. Most of the refugees were accepted by Russia, while the main part of the settlers ended up in northern Greece. The long-suffering Pontic Greeks began to settle in their new homeland from scratch, never forgetting their patroness Panagia Sumela.

Before leaving martyr Pontus, the monks hid in the chapel of St. Barbara the miraculous icon of Panagia Sumela, together with the gospel of St. Christopher and the cross of the Emperor of Trebizond, Manuel Comnenos.

In 1930, Greek Prime Minister Eleftherios Venizelos asked the Prime Minister of Turkey, who was visiting Athens, to allow a Greek delegation to go to Pontus and bring symbols of Orthodoxy to Greece. The mission to bring the Pontic relics to Greece was entrusted to a native of Pontus, the monk Ambrose Sumeliotis (Sumelsky), who, having secured a letter to the Turkish authorities from the Turkish embassy in Greece, went to Constantinople on October 14, and from there to Pontus. Despite the fact that he knew the location of the hidden treasures of Orthodoxy, it was not easy to find them. Over the past years, the courtyard of the chapel was heavily overgrown with vegetation, but, as Ambrose Sumeliotis said, Panagia again helped him: the spade seemed to find the buried chest by itself, and the treasures returned safe and sound to Greece. They were placed in the Athens Byzantine Museum, a treasury of Orthodox relics.

Deprived of its shrines, today the Sumela Monastery is dilapidated walls, inside of which a unique rock temple has remained. Many of the images painted on the walls are still preserved, although time does not spare them. The ruins of the Sumel Monastery are listed as the national treasures of Turkey, but the Turkish government is doing nothing to restore the unique monument of Christianity, which attracts tourists and pilgrims from all over the world to see. For many of them, this is just an educational excursion. For Orthodox Greeks, the descendants of those who once built a monastery, prayed for centuries in it, for whom this land, these mountains were once native, to visit Panagia Sumela, bow to its walls, light candles in memory of their ancestors - this is an act that every Pontic Greek aspires to do in his life.

In 2010, with the permission of the Ministry of Culture of Turkey, with the energetic assistance of Ivan Savvidi, in Panagia Sumela, 88 years after the eradication of the Greeks of Pontus from their historical homeland, the first liturgy was held on the day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, in honor of Panagia Sumeliotissa.

Today, the famous image of the Virgin Panagia Sumela, brought from Turkey, is located on the slope of Mount Vermios in the Vermi region of northern Greece, twenty kilometers from Veria, in the village of Kastania on the way to Kozani. The Pontians, who settled in Greece, built a temple here in honor of the Assumption of the Virgin, and the image of Panagia was solemnly transferred to it from Veria.

The miraculous icon again gathers around itself not only the Greeks, but also Christians from all over the world.

On September 11, the miraculous icon of Panagia Sumela was brought to St. Petersburg. Until September 18, the shrine stays in the Transfiguration Cathedral, where prayers are performed before the icon every day.

Dates of the celebration of the icons of the Virgin Akathist to the icons of the Virgin

Approximately 50 km. south of Trabzon at an altitude of 1200 m on the slopes of the cliff is (it seems as if magically hanging) the historical spiritual center of the Orthodox Christians of Pontus - the monastery of Panagia Sumela, partially carved into the rocks. The monastery is also widely known throughout the world as the abode of the Virgin of the Black Mountain.

A rather steep ascent along a rocky path among sheer cliffs takes at least 40-50 minutes. It's worth it, because it's a kind of time travel - crossing right into the IV century. It was then that the Greek monks Barnabas and Sophronius founded an Orthodox monastery here. Moreover, the place was indicated to them by the Mother of God herself.

The face, painted by Saint Luke, stood on a bare rocky ledge. Yes, even at a decent height. How to start building here?

According to ancient sources, in 385 the monks Barnabas and Sophronius came to one of the temples of Athens to bow miraculous icon Theotokos, written, according to legend, by the Evangelist Luke. Then they suddenly heard the voice of the Virgin. She ordered the monks to follow the icon all the way to Pontus, stop at Mount Mela and found a new monastery there.

Then the two angels lifted up the priceless face, and the shocked monks followed him. After long wanderings, Barnabas and Sofrony ended up at the Black Mountain. There they found a face painted by St. Luke, he stood on a bare rocky ledge. Yes, even at a decent height. How to start building here? There is not even a source of water nearby. But the Mother of God appeared again and said that there would be water. And indeed from the rock above the cave suddenly sounded life-giving miraculous spring. It still exists today.

Stone by stone, Barnabas and Sophronius built the temple around which the monastery began to form. In the Kingdom of Pontus, and then in the Empire of Trebizond, he always enjoyed the favor of the Byzantine monarchs.

Subsequently, it was on Mount Mela that representatives of the Komnenos dynasty were crowned on the throne. Even after the Turks destroyed the Christian state, the monastery flourished! This was the will of the Sultan Ottoman Empire Selim the Magnificent in the 16th century. There is a legend about how once, during a hunt, the sultan suddenly found himself at the foot of the Black Mountain and saw on it a richly decorated Christian monastery and a church with a shining gold cross. In a rage, the sovereign ordered the faithful Janissaries to immediately raze the shrine of the "infidels" to the ground.

But he did not have time to utter the last word, as he immediately fell off his horse and huddled in death convulsions. However, the heavens spared him, and almost the next day the sultan was forced to grant the Sumelsky monastery all the former privileges and his favor.

In general, the monastery did not know big troubles up to tragic events forced resettlement in Greece. The Turkish government allowed to take out the icon of Panagia Sumela, as well as other valuables, but since then almost everyone has forgotten about this monastery. ... For now, it’s more honest to call it Holy place"cultural ruins"...

The monastery with the blinded faces of the saints, which has not yet been returned to life, has been declared a national monument of Turkey. However, for the time being, it is more honest to call this holy place “cultural ruins”, and therefore not the best earthly refuge for angels with sad eyes ...

August 15, 2010 on the day of the celebration of the Assumption of the Mother of God (Constantinople Orthodox Church lives according to the new style) in the monastery for the first time in 90 years was served Divine Liturgy, which brought thousands of Orthodox pilgrims from different countries.

Address: Turkey
Built: late 4th - early 5th century AD
Coordinates: 40°41"24.1"N 39°39"30.1"E

Panagia Sumela Monastery (Sumela Monastery), located on the territory of the modern Turkish city of Trabzon, located on the Black Sea coast, is considered not only one of the most ancient Orthodox churches in the world, but also the most inaccessible.

Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from Greece, Russia, Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus come to this monastery every year. In addition, tourists from other countries of the world who profess Catholicism, Islam and Buddhism also dream of getting to a sacred place built in a chalk rock. There is nothing surprising in this, the thing is that from the moment of its foundation until 1923, the holy place for every Orthodox Christian constantly attracted attention, because it was within its walls that one of the most significant and most valuable shrines was kept - the icon of the Virgin Panagia Succeeded.

There is an ancient tradition that the miraculous icon, which depicts the mother of the Savior of all mankind, was written by St. Luke himself. For those who are not familiar with the Orthodox faith, it should be clarified that St. Luke is the author of one of the Gospels that exists today, and is also considered the first person to paint an icon. In addition, St. Luke is recognized in the Orthodox faith as the patron saint of painters and doctors. An interesting fact is that St. Luke, who painted the icon of Panagia Sumela, kept until 1923 in the monastery of the same name, was an eyewitness of the miracles that Jesus Christ showed to sinful people. Moreover, this Saint, who gave our world several miraculous icons with the Mother of God depicted on them, is revered not only among Orthodox believers, but also among Catholics. All of the above only once again explains why the monastery of Panagia Sumela in Turkey enjoys such great popularity.

Unfortunately, in our time, the monastery can no longer impress the pilgrim with the richest interior decoration, stunning paintings and ornaments: many of them suffered due to the inexorable passage of time, and some were purposefully destroyed and erased by vandals and fanatical Islamists. By the way, such an attitude towards the monastery of Panagia Sumela began only at the end of the 19th century. Until that time, the Orthodox church, in which the monks offered their prayers to God, the Virgin Mary and the Saints, not only enjoyed great influence, but was not even touched by the soldiers of the Ottoman Empire when they managed to capture the territory of modern Trabzon. However, the history of the construction and prosperity of the monastery, as well as its significance for modern world deserve to be considered in more detail. No wonder, because the construction of the Panagia Sumela Monastery in Turkey began already 386 (!) years after the Savior came to our world.

Construction of the Monastery of Panagia Sumela

According to the chronicles that have survived to this day, it can be concluded that the monastery of Panagia Sumela was founded by two monks: Barnavy and Safronius. It was to these two Orthodox that the Mother of God appeared, who said that they should take away the icon with her face, painted by St. Luke, and bring it to a hard-to-reach place on Mount Mela, and there begin the construction of the monastery. Looking ahead a little, I would like to note that the monastery of Panagia Sumela is located at an altitude of just over 300 (!) meters above sea level and is carved into the chalk rock.

The icon of Panagia Sumela, painted by St. Luke, was kept in Thebes in those distant times. After the monks told about the appearance of the Mother of God to them, the priests from the temple, located on the territory of the Great Panagia, gave the shrine to Barnavia and Safronius. In 386 AD, two Orthodox Christian with great difficulty they climbed a chalk mountain with sheer cliffs and founded a monastery there.

At that time, Augustaliy Kortikiy ruled Trebizond (now Trabzon). Naturally, two people, even despite their boundless love for God, could not carve a huge monastery in the rock with their own forces. According to legend, the monks from the monastery built on Mount Zebulun in honor of John the Baptist provided them with invaluable help. By that time, the sacred temple, built in honor of the Saint, who baptized Jesus Christ himself and accepted a terrible death, had an impact on the surroundings and, not surprisingly, had huge funds. Thanks to his help, the construction of temples began in the rock of Mount Mela. By the way, the evidence that funds and labor from the Church of John the Baptist were involved in the construction of the Sumela Monastery are documents, according to which, until 1800 (!) From the Orthodox shrine, where the icon painted by St. a token of gratitude was sent every seven years to a mule that had reached the age of seven, and every year 50 huge vessels filled with oil and wax.

At the moment, there are indisputable facts that indicate that initially on Mount Mela, Barnavy and Saphronius built the temple of the Archangel Michael. There are three churches in total on the territory of the Sumel Monastery, the second was built in honor of the Mother of God, and the third was the church of Equal-to-the-Apostles Great Constantine and Helena. Naturally, all these Saints are among the most revered in Orthodoxy, but it still remains a mystery why the monks were not the first to build a temple in honor of the Virgin, because it was she who appeared to Barnavia and Safronius and ordered them to found a monastery in her honor. Many scientists have repeatedly carried out various studies of documents, as well as the monastery of Panagia Sumela itself, they all unanimously claim that the first temple was built in honor of the Archangel Michael. The answer to the question: “What exactly influenced the decision of the monks to carve the temple of the Virgin not in the first place?”, - most likely, will not be found.

The rumor about the new Sumel Monastery, which houses a priceless Christian shrine, quickly spread throughout almost all of Europe. Thousands of pilgrims rushed to the holy place to bow to the icon called Panagia Sumela. Such an influx of Orthodox Christians forced the monks, even during the construction of the last temple, to begin the construction of a hotel that could accommodate believers. This was only the first building for pilgrims, later the servants of the Sumel Monastery gave orders to build new guest houses. At the same time, it should be remembered that without exception, all the premises were cut down directly into the rock and, despite the fact that it consisted mainly of chalk, the builders had to make truly titanic efforts to expand the monastery.

History of the Sumel Monastery

As mentioned above, the monastery on Mount Mela, even before the completion of its construction, became a place of worship for Orthodox Christians. However, history shows that the monks, nevertheless, had to endure the raids of barbarians and vandals. Due to the fact that three churches, office buildings and hotels for pilgrims were located in hard to reach place, robberies, though infrequent, but happened. The evidence of a robbery attack on the Sumel Monastery at the end of the 6th century has survived to this day. At that time, almost all valuables from the monastery were taken out by vandals, only the icon painted by St. Luke and some other sacred objects miraculously survived. Miraculously ... but how could it be otherwise, if we are talking about a miraculous icon? However, noble metal has always been of interest to robbers, they considered everything else not worthy of attention. Already in 644, new monks came to the Monastery of Panagia Sumela, who revived it in record time and made it fit for pilgrims to visit.

The monastery, carved into the rock of Mount Mela, reached its greatest prosperity during the reign of the great Komnenos dynasty. They had unlimited power not only over Trebizond, but also at certain intervals over the entire vast Byzantine empire. Each ruler from this dynasty considered it his duty to patronize the monastery, which kept a sacred relic written by a witness to the earthly life of Jesus Christ, and which was visited daily by numerous pilgrims from distant lands.

A huge contribution to the development and prosperity of the Sumel Monastery was made by John II, his son, grandson and great-grandson. By order of the king, the monastery was granted 24 villages and about 40 small settlements, the proceeds from which were directed by the monks to the construction of fortress walls, monastic cells and other buildings. In addition, the monastery received almost 1370 (!) privileges from the great-grandson of John II, who ruled from 1349 to 1390. The monks did not forget this generosity and right above the entrance to main temple placed a poem in which the deeds of Alexei III and his invaluable contribution to spreading around the world were glorified Orthodox faith. By the way, this poem could be distinguished until the 17th century, then time forever erased it from the chalk cliff.

Surprisingly, even after Trebizond and the lands adjacent to it became part of the Ottoman Empire, the Orthodox church continued to flourish and enjoy great power. One of the sultans signed a decree stating that the monks of the Sumela Monastery, which houses the relic of the Orthodox world, Panagia Sumela, have the right to complete freedom and the privileges granted to them back in the days of the Komnenos dynasty. Moreover, Sultan Selim I and all his descendants, who naturally professed Islam, constantly gave gifts to the monastery and even covered the dome of the main temple with copper. The grandson of Selim I decided that copper was not a noble enough material for such a holy place and ordered to exchange it for the purest silver.

It simply defies explanation what the rulers of the Ottoman Empire were guided by when they showed such concern for a temple that had nothing to do with their faith. True, the monks begged the Sultan to refuse to cover the roof with silver: they were simply afraid that such untold wealth would sooner or later tempt the robbers to attack.

The prosperity of the Sumel Monastery, which is located on the territory of modern Turkey, continued until the 19th century! The Ecumenical Patriarchate in 1863 completely deprives the monastery of Panagia Sumela of all its possessions and privileges. Pilgrims who worshiped the icon painted by St. Luke met with disapproval this decree and the patriarchy, fearing violent protests, hastily reverses its decision. However, after 39 years, new decree which eventually became final. Difficult times have come for the Sumel Monastery: during the bloody battles of the First World War, all the monks left the walls of the once powerful and influential Orthodox church. Mad with rage, the Turks burst into the temple: they, forgetting that even during the Ottoman Empire, the monastery was respected, began to smash everything that was possible. Wall paintings were almost completely destroyed, and on those images that could not be erased, the eyes of the saints were gouged out.

Monastery of Panagia Sumela - a sacred place for pilgrims

Despite the fact that the Turks almost completely plundered and destroyed the interior of the monastery, they failed to take possession of the Panagia Sumela icon. The monks, already at the time when the Turks stormed the fortress walls, buried the sacred relic. Only in 1923 did the monk decide on a feat: he unearthed the icon and moved it to

The city of Veria is associated with the name of the supreme apostle Paul, who preached Christ here, after Philip and Thessaloniki expelled him and his disciple Silas, one of the seventy apostles, from Naples. The inhabitants of Berea greeted the Apostles kindly and listened with great interest. Not far from the Orology Square there is an open chapel or, as it is commonly called, "the stand of the Apostle Paul." A synagogue once stood here and several marble steps remained, from which the Apostle Paul preached.

Twenty kilometers from Veria, in the village of Castagna, there is the famous image of the Virgin of Sumel. He came here from Turkey in connection with the Asia Minor Catastrophe, after the population exchange in 1920. The foundation of the Sumel Monastery in the mountains of Turkey is connected with this icon, which is considered to be the creation of the hands of the Apostle Luke. The history of this icon is amazing, and the ruins of the Sumel Monastery in Turkey are considered a national monument.

After the death of the Apostle Luke (at the age of 84 he received a martyr's crown in the north of the Peloponnese, in the province of Achaia, and was buried in the city of Thebes), the icon ended up with his disciple Ananias. Over time, she was transported to Athens - to the temple, erected in honor of the Virgin, where she remained until the end of the 4th century.

An Athenian priest named Basil once showed

The Mother of God was sent and said that he and his nephew, the deacon Sotirichius, needed to become monks. After tonsure with the names of Barnabas and Sophronius, they came to venerate the miraculous image of the Most Holy Theotokos, painted by the holy Apostle Luke. Kneeling before the icon, they again heard the voice of the Mother of God, who ordered them to follow east, to Mount Mela. And then, before their eyes, two angels lifted the icon into the air and disappeared in an easterly direction.

The monks Barnabas and Sophrony went around all the major monastic centers, visited Mount Athos and sailed to Asia Minor. Having visited Trebizond, they went in search of the mountain indicated by the Virgin, to Pontus. When they finally reached Mount Mela, they were filled with joy. After spending the night in the forest, waking up at dawn, Barnabas and Sophronius noticed a crevice in the rock, over which swallows were circling. Entering the cave, the monks saw in the radiance of light the icon of the Mother of God - the same one that was last seen in Athens. So they realized that this place was meant for them.

The only problem was that there was no water at all. The monks began to cry out to the Theotokos, and she answered them. They heard a voice that said that She would give them water not only for bodily needs, but also for spiritual healing. And immediately the rock split: water poured out of the crevice. So a miraculous spring arose, which exists to this day.

The monastery of Panagia Sumelskaya, founded by the monks Barnabas and Sophronius, survived

l many troubles, but he knew the heyday and

prosperity. The monastery was abandoned in 1922 during the population exchange between Greece and Turkey. Permission to export the valuables of the monastery was received in 1931. Then the miraculous image of the Virgin came to Greece. Until 1952, the icon was kept in the Athens Museum. Later, it was transferred to a temple built in Castagna with funds raised by the Pontians who settled in Greece.

Not far from Veria, in a gorge, on the banks of the Alyakmonas River, there is a male skete of St. John the Baptist, built on the site of a cave in which approx.

St. Gregory Palamas lived for about ten years. The inhabitants of this monastery were: St. Dionysius of Olympus, St. Athanasius of Meteor, St. Theon, Archbishop of Thessaloniki, St. Anthony of Veria

and many other devotees. Today it is kept here: part of the hand of St. John the Baptist and head of St. Clement of Ohrid, a disciple of Sts. Cyril and Methodius. Now the skete of St. John the Baptist is the courtyard of the Simo Monastery of Athos