Panagia Soumela Monastery holds closed liturgy amid local tensions

The Divine Liturgy at the Panagia Soumela Monastery in Trabzon is being held behind closed doors, with the August 15 service rescheduled to August 23. This rescheduling coincides with the anniversary of the fall of Trabzon, an event regarded in Turkey as an Ottoman victory. Turkish authorities have expressed ongoing reactions to the matter, often linking the discourse to the Muslim minority in Thrace.

Monastic tradition, as documented by Metropolitan Chrysanthos Filippidis in his 1933 work “The Church of Trabzon,” recounts a legend involving Ottoman Sultan Selim I. According to the tradition, while Selim was a prince hunting in the region, he ordered the destruction of the monastery. Legend states he suffered a stroke at that moment, which he interpreted as divine punishment. After seeking forgiveness and drinking the monastery’s sacred water, he reportedly recovered. Upon ascending the Ottoman throne, Selim I is said to have restored the monastery’s privileges and provided various gifts, including copper for the church roof.