In the Kiremitli neighborhood of the Maçka district in Trabzon, which is home to significant sites in religious tourism, Vazelon Monastery, recognized as one of Anatolia’s first monasteries and believed to be dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, awaits development for tourism in its forested and rugged terrain.
Dating between A.D. 270 and 317 and abandoned for about a century, the monastery attracts visitors eager to explore its history.
Justinian I, reigning over the Byzantine Empire, issued an order to restore the monastery in A.D. 565. It underwent several renovations until the 20th century. The current towers trace back to the reconstruction in 1410. The monastery served as a hub of Greek Orthodox activity, exerting influence over nearby villages until its dissolution. Remarkably, frescoes portraying heaven, hell and the last judgment adorn the northern exterior walls of the church, enduring through the ages.
Ishak Emir, who visited the monastery, expressed his disappointment, stating, “We were quite excited to come here; Sümela Monastery is a place on our minds; we wondered if we could see something similar here. But unfortunately, as you can see, there is no proper road, not even a dirt path. The road for vehicles is very bad. If such a structure were a bit more well-maintained if renovation were done, I believe it could attract many tourists.”
“However, from what we could see from a distance, it looks amazing. Built on the rocks, it’s not an easy structure to build; it’s a very interesting one,” he added.
Zehra Emir said they came to see the Vazelon Monastery and said: “We had quite a difficult time on the way here. There used to be a dirt path leading to the monastery here. When we climbed a bit from the waterfall, we saw a path that looked like a dirt path, but the road was really bad; we couldn’t reach the monastery. Ideally, it should be restored, and we could see the inside, but we didn’t dare to go all the way up, to be honest. I wish I could get a closer look at the images I saw on the internet since I came here, but we only saw as much as we could from here.”
The Vazelon Monastery consists of four floors and frescoes that have survived to this day adorn the church walls built on the top floor.
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