Trabzon — ancient Trebizond, once the capital of the final Byzantine successor state and a trading crossroads of the Black Sea — carries one of the densest concentrations of abandoned Greek Orthodox heritage in Turkey. Three great monasteries were built into the cliff faces of the Maçka Valley above the city, all abandoned in 1923 when the population exchange removed the last Pontic Greek communities from the Black Sea coast. Sümela Monastery, founded during the reign of Theodosius I in 386 AD, clings to a sheer cliff at 1,200 metres facing the Altındere valley — completely abandoned after the 1923 population exchange as a consequence of the Treaty of Lausanne. Its neighbour Vazelon, built in 270 AD, retains frescoes of Heaven, Hell and the Last Judgement on its outer walls. Discover the 5 best abandoned places in Trabzon, selected from our Turkey Urbex Map — 200+ verified GPS locations.
Why Trabzon Offers an Exceptional and Underexplored Abandoned Heritage
The Pontic Greek communities of Trabzon's hinterland had inhabited the Black Sea mountains since ancient times — their monastic culture, cliff-face churches and stone villages represent a distinct Byzantine heritage tradition found nowhere else in Turkey. The 1923 exchange removed them almost overnight, leaving cliff monasteries, village churches and stone settlements in various states of abandonment across the extraordinary green mountain landscape of the eastern Black Sea.
1. Sümela Monastery – Maçka District, Altındere Valley — Founded 386 AD, Abandoned 1923, Cliff-Face at 1,200 Metres, Byzantine Frescoes, Now Open Museum (Known Location)
Sümela Monastery is a former Greek Orthodox monastery in the Pontic Mountains, in the Maçka district of Trabzon province. Nestled in a steep cliff at an elevation of about 1,200 metres facing the Altındere valley, it is a site of great historical and cultural significance. The site is comprised of several buildings including the Rock Church, chapels, kitchens, student rooms, sleeping cells, a guesthouse, library, and a sacred spring revered by Eastern Orthodox Christians. Abandoned in 1923, damaged by fire in 1930 and looted by treasure hunters for decades, it was reopened as a museum and restored through the 2010s. In 2017, workers discovered a secret hidden chapel. Accessible by dolmuş from Trabzon (1 hour); small admission fee. The Art of Wayfaring describes it as "one of Turkey's most stunning sights."
🔗 Sources: Wikipedia – Sümela Monastery | Art of Wayfaring – Panagia Sümela
2. Vazelon Monastery (Moni Vazelonos) – Maçka District, 40km South of Trabzon — Built 270 AD, Abandoned 1923, Frescoes of Heaven & Hell Surviving, Oldest Monastery in Trabzon Region (Known Location)
Vazelon Monastery is the oldest and most important monastery in the Trabzon region — built in 270 AD and rebuilt multiple times throughout history, the current structure dates to 1410. The monastery was abandoned in 1923. It was once home to a bell tower, a vast dining hall, a kitchen, and a cistern. The monastery still holds many historic frescoes, including a depiction of Heaven, Hell, the Last Judgment, and an image of baby Jesus in a cradle. Wikipedia documents that as late as 1920, the Maçka district was 76% Christian — the specific valley containing Vazelon was 88% Pontic Greek. The monastery retains extraordinary atmosphere as a genuinely ruined site, unlike the partially restored Sümela.
🔗 Also read: Top 5 Abandoned Places in Turkey →
3. Kuştul Monastery – Maçka Valley, Near Sümela — Third Great Monastery of the Maçka Valley, Abandoned 1923, Cliff Setting, Less Visited Than Sümela & Vazelon
Kuştul Monastery completes the trio of great Maçka Valley monasteries — together with Sümela and Vazelon, it formed the religious infrastructure of the Pontic Greek community in the mountains above Trabzon until all three were abandoned in 1923. Art of Wayfaring specifically recommends visiting "Vazelon and Kuştul Monasteries which together with Sümela made up the three great monasteries of the Maçka Valley." Less visited and less restored than Sümela, Kuştul sits in the same extraordinary Black Sea mountain landscape with cliff-face monastery setting but sees a fraction of the visitors drawn to Sümela — making it one of the finest genuinely exploratory monastery sites in Turkey. GPS in our Turkey Urbex Map.
4. Abandoned Pontic Greek Village – Trabzon Hinterland — 1923 Exchange, Stone Houses, Orthodox Chapel, Mountain Setting, Extensively Documented by Folklorists (Exclusively on Our Map)
Beyond the great monasteries, dozens of Pontic Greek villages across Trabzon's mountain hinterland were emptied by the 1923 exchange and either left completely abandoned or progressively consolidated into smaller active settlements. Several of the fully abandoned villages retain remarkable architectural character: the distinctive Black Sea regional stone construction, vaulted Orthodox chapels with traces of fresco decoration and village fountains fed by mountain springs still flowing past empty houses. The extraordinary green mountain landscape of the eastern Black Sea — dense forest, steep valleys, frequent mist — creates an abandoned village atmosphere of unusual intensity. GPS in our Turkey Urbex Map.
5. Abandoned Byzantine Church – Trabzon City or Surroundings — Converted Mosque or Disused, Medieval Frescoes, Trabzon's Byzantine Legacy (Off the Radar — Our Map Only)
Trabzon (ancient Trebizond) was the capital of the Empire of Trebizond — the last surviving Byzantine successor state, which lasted from 1204 to 1461. The city's Byzantine heritage includes the Hagia Sophia of Trabzon (now a mosque-museum), but also peripheral Byzantine churches in various states of disuse or partial abandonment in the surrounding region. Several smaller Byzantine chapels and church buildings in the Trabzon hinterland have been neither fully converted nor restored — standing in various states of dereliction with surviving wall paintings, carved stone details and the specific atmosphere of a Byzantine provincial religious culture abandoned when the last Byzantine state fell in 1461. Find them on our Turkey Urbex Map.
❓ FAQ
What is the most famous abandoned place near Trabzon?
Sümela Monastery — founded in 386 AD, clinging to a cliff at 1,200 metres in the Altındere valley, abandoned in 1923 after the population exchange and now open as a museum. For genuine ruin exploration, Vazelon Monastery (built 270 AD) retains surviving frescoes of Heaven, Hell and the Last Judgement in a less-restored, more atmospherically derelict state. The combination of both monasteries in a single day trip from Trabzon is widely regarded as the finest heritage excursion on Turkey's Black Sea coast.
How do I get to Sümela Monastery from Trabzon?
Take the dolmuş from the Vazelon stop in Trabzon city centre — the journey takes approximately 1 hour and arrives at the national park entrance below the monastery. From the entrance, a path leads up through forest to the monastery complex (20–30 minutes on foot, or take the shuttle). For Vazelon and Kuştul, a car is necessary — the road to Vazelon branches from the Maçka valley road.
Are all three Maçka Valley monasteries worth visiting?
Yes — each offers a distinct experience. Sümela is the most spectacular cliff setting and the most accessible. Vazelon is the most atmospherically ruined, with surviving frescoes and no tour groups. Kuştul is the least visited and most genuinely exploratory. Allow a full day for all three, with a hired car from Trabzon.
Safety Tips
- Sümela rockfalls: the monastery was closed from 2015–2019 due to rockfalls from the cliff above — stay on designated paths and do not linger beneath overhanging cliff sections
- Mountain roads: Trabzon's mountain roads can be impassable in winter and after heavy rain — always check conditions before setting out for Vazelon or Kuştul
- Mountain weather: the Black Sea mountains receive heavy precipitation year-round — carry waterproofs regardless of departure conditions
- Never explore alone — particularly at Vazelon and Kuştul where mobile coverage is absent and trails are unmarked
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