Overview
An incredibly poorly restored historical site. The building restoration errors are one thing, but the stones used for restoring the cliff-attached settlements weren't even local; they were shipped from Aksaray. The walking path to the site is genuinely well-done, but the interior restoration is awful. For such a heavily visited destination, having a restoration this bad completed in 2021 is unacceptable. Even the map at the entrance was prepared with completely wrong information. An absolute disgrace.
What to See
What truly impresses about Sumela isn't just its high perch, the journey there is equally captivating. Almost like being in a tropical climate, with enormous trees, incredibly green and mystical surroundings. The natural beauty starts as soon as you begin driving into the valley.
There's a significant difference between the exterior and interior frescoes. In the main fresco hall, Jesus and other Christian figures are depicted as Black, which is quite interesting. On the exterior frescoes, some figures have halos, these indicate Christians; Jesus's halo contains a cross, distinguishing him.
I was quite surprised by the visitor demographics. I expected more foreign tourists, but the crowds were heavily conservative groups, women in headscarves and devout older men. I'd always assumed such groups had a harsh view of old Christian places of worship, so seeing this shift in attitude was surprising.
Tips & Advice
The exterior is fully visible from the Ayavarvara Church vantage point, a good photo spot. But your eyes instinctively search for those iconic drone-shot views from the documentaries. Unfortunately, no such viewpoint exists along the walking path.