The historic Monastery of Panagia Soumela in Trabzon of Pontus, welcomed back visitors on Tuesday for the first time in five years since it was closed for restoration work.
As announced by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew telephoned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to thank him for the restoration and reopening of Panagia Soumela.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew also confirmed that Divine Liturgy for the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, will be held at the Holy Monastery of Panagia Soumela.
The service on the 15th of August will be performed by His Eminence Metropolitan Stefanos of Kallioupolis and Madytos and His Eminence Ioannis Metropolitan of Zambia.
The monastery was temporarily closed in 2015, in order to carry out support works, as it is built on a rock, at a height of 1,200 meters.
