Περίληψη : According to the tradition, the Soumela Monastery in Pontos was built in the 4 th century by two monks from Athens, Barnabas and Sophronios. The monastery was thriving during the Age of the Grand Komnenoi of Trebizond, mainly in 1286 1390. In the Ottoman period the monastery maintained its Orthodox character and lots of its privileges. After the 17 th century it thrived again, as a result of the prosperity in the wider area. It was deserted after 1922. Χρονολόγηση Heyday: 1286-1390 Γεωγραφικός εντοπισμός Pontos Matzouka Mount Mela 1. Geographical Position and Traditions about Foundation The monastery of Panagia (the Virgin Mary) at Soumela was built in an abrupt slope overlooking a valley crossed by the Panagia River, on the western sides of Mount Mela, approximately 40 km to the south of Trebizond, at an altitude of 1,150 m. 1 The monastery, built on an area of exquisite beauty, became later known as the Soumela Monastery. The history of the monastery s construction is associated with traditions dating back to the 10 th century. According to such tradition, the monastery was founded in the 4 th century by two Athenian monks, Barnabas and Sophronios. 2 The two monks, urged by some dream they had, travelled to Mount Mela and discovered an icon of the Virgin Mary inside a cave, supposedly one of the three legendary Theotokos icons attributed to St. Luke. Similar centuries-old traditions accompany the foundation of several important monasteries of Pontos, some of which have been built in caves. 3 Soumela was an imperial and patriarchal (stauropegiac) monastery. Around the second half of the 13 th century the monastery must have been comprised the cave, possibly unadorned, a fountain of holy water to the southeast of the cave and wooden cells actually hanging over the gorge crossed by the Panagia River. 2. The Monastery in the Years of the Grand Komnenoi In the time of the Grand Komnenoi of Trebizond, and particularly in the years of emperors John II Grand Komnenos (1286-1297), Alexios II Grand Komnenos(1297-1330), Basil Grand Komnenos (1332-1340) and Alexios III Grand Komnenos (1349-1390), the Soumela Monastery thrived. Until the third quarter of the 14 th century the entire valley near the monastery was the jurisdiction of the Soumela Monastery, by virtue of concessions made by the Trebizond emperors. Emperor Alexios III Grand Komnenos financed the restoration of the Soumela Monastery circa 1360-1365. An inscription of rhymed lines preserved until 1650 4 over the central door of the monastery stated that the emperor had fortified the monastic complex with walls and towers, constructed new cells, given the church its present look and donated to the monastery an icon of the Virgin Mary. 5 Grateful because he had survived a shipwreck, Alexios III issued a chrysobull in 1364 6 to renew the privileges the monastery had been enjoying. By virtue of the above decree, the Emperor ratified donations concerning ownership and occupancy of the lands that the monastery possessed thanks to subsidies granted by Emperors John II Komnenos, Alexios II Komnenos and Basil Komnenos. In addition, any other real property the monastery had acquired, either purchased or donated, was aknowledged, whether explicitly mentioned in the chrysobull or not. 6 Furthermore, the decree defined labour relations, obligations and privileges enjoyed by the paroikoi of the monastery, and stated that anybody settled in the monastic territory became the monastery's paroikos. By virtue of this Δημιουργήθηκε στις 30/6/2017 Σελίδα 1/6
document, the monastery was entirely exempted from taxes and other debts, while it remained beyond the jurisdiction and justiceship of the local rulers of Matzouka. Apart from tax exemption, the monastery was also exempted from military service (exkusseia or exkuseia, εξκουσσεία), while it only had to pay the royal levy, a tax on landed property, paid to the imperial fund twice a year (September and March). 7 Manuel III Grand Komnenos (1390-1417), the successor of Alexios III, maintained the preferential treatment that Soumela had enjoyed by his ancestors and offered the monastery a metal reliquary for keeping a chip of the True Cross. Just before the Ottoman occupation the monastery must have included the now wall-painted cave, which constituted the katholikon of the monastery, the fountain of holy water and possibly a chapel for keeping the relic of the True Cross, as well as some of the outbuildings and the nine cells constructed on a protrusion of the cliff to the north of the cave. 3. The Monastery in the 16th century Even after the Empire of the Grand Komnenoi was disrupted by Mehmed II in 1461, most of the Pontic monasteries remained almost intact and maintained their privileges. The Soumela Monastery thrived again in the 16 th century. Sultan Selim I (1512-1520) established close relations with Trebizond and associated his name with the Soumela Monastery considering himself a successor to the Grand Komnenoi. 8 His close relations with the monastery were attributed to his Greek mother Maria, whose place of birth, Douvera, was the monastery s jurisdiction. By an official decree (firman) in 1512 Selim, like Alexios III before him, ratified all monastery privileges, sponsored the copper covering of the roof and offered five massive silver candlesticks. Soumela was benefited by Sultans Selim II and Murad III as well. Selim II issued a firman recognizing the landed property of the monastery. 4. The Monastery in the 17th-18th century The monastery continued to prosper during the 17 th century, thanks to donations resulting from the re-operation of the silver mines of Chaldia. It should be noted that there was often tension because the monks wanted to safeguard their privileges in prosperous areas, like Koloneia (now Sebinkarahisar), controlled by monks until 1693. In order to deal with the tension, abbot Euthymios and his monks made a compromise in 1686 and appointed two financial advisers for managing the monastery interests. At times, the archbishops of Chaldia, many of which were descended from the Fytianos family, the supervisors of the mines, showed particular interest in the Soumela Monastery, especially in the period 1686-1744, as evidenced by lots of inscriptions preserved in the monastery. The monastery was extensively restored in that period. All the preserved wall-paintings, most of the chapels, the addition of the apse to the east of the cave and various outhouses were either restored or decorated. Thanks to its prosperity, the monastery published a book on its history, written by the deacon Neophytos Kausokalybites. It was published in Leipzig in 1775 on the initiative of the archimandrite Parthenios Metaxopoulos from Soumela. 5. The Monastery in the 19th century After the establishment of the bishopric of Rodopolis in 1860 and the abolition of the restrictive measures against the cryptochristians in 1865, the monastery prospered again. The present access to the monastery was formed in 1864 and it was then that the aqueduct, the library and the present front of the katholikon were built. The old wooden cells, which hung above the gorge, seem to have been destroyed in that period. They were replaced by buildings intended for the accommodation of the monks and the numerous pilgrims, who covered financially the renovation of the monastery. The needs of the monastery were also financed by occasional ziteies (collections). In 1744 and 1763 the monk Ioannikios travelled to Ankara, Erzurum, Crimea, Scythopolis and elsewhere in order to find money. Most of the 19 th century bishops travelled to the Greek communities of Pontic Russia to ask for financial aid. 6. The Monastery in the 20th century The monastery was badly damaged during the World War I, because it was laying on the Russo-Turkish lines for more than a year. Δημιουργήθηκε στις 30/6/2017 Σελίδα 2/6
The last monks left the monastery early in 1923. Then the place was used as a hideout by tobacco smugglers. Around 1930 the place was severely burned, while vandalisms followed in the next decades. However, since 1961 the interest in preserving the exquisite scenery of the area has contributed to the protection of the monastery from complete destruction. Lots of travellers have been visiting the monastery every year. The Greeks from Pontos built near Veroia the New Soumela Monastery, reminiscent of their place of pilgrimage in Pontos. The icon believed to have been made by St. Luke is kept in this monastery, while the reliquary of the True Cross, donated by Manuel III Grand Komnenos to the original Soumela Monastery, is kept in the Byzantine Museum of Athens. The icon of the Virgin Mary donated to the monastery by Alexios III Grand Komnenos is kept in the National Gallery in Dublin, while another icon from the monastery is currently in Oxford. 9 The silver candlesticks of Sultan Selim I were stolen in 1877, while 67 of the 84 hand-written codices (the earliest ones dating to the 12 th century) and about 150 published books from the monastery s library have been transferred to the Archaeological Museum of Ankara. 7. Sources of Information about the Historical Background of the Soumela Monastery In his paper on the history of the monastery, Neophytos Kausokalybites includes a series of sources referring to the chronicle of its foundation. He makes a special mention to John Xiphilinos (Patriarch of Constantinople in 1064-1075), Akakios Sabbaites, Athanasios Daimonokatalytes (a controversial figure who probably lived in Trebizond in the 17 th century), Dositheos (Patriarch of Jerusalem in 1669-1707), Dionysios (Metropolitan of Chaldia in the second half of the 18 th century) and Nikodemos of Colchis. Ο. Lampsides and Ε. Weigel checked Kausokalybites s reports to find out that from all six writers that according to Kausokalybites mention the Soumela Monastery, only the works of the two of them still exist: Akakios Sabbaites and Dositheos, Patriarch of Jerusalem. 10 What is more, the information that John Xiphilinos, Athanasios Daimonokatalytes and Nikodemos of Colchis wrote about the history of the Soumela Monastery is to be found only in Kausokalybites s work. 11 According to Lampsides, Akakios Sabbaites lived in the late 12 th and the early 13 th century. 12 Little after 1204 he wrote the Life of the Founders of the Soumela Monastery, making extensive reference to the two monks who, according to the legend, had founded the monastery on Mount Mela. A code of Sabbaites s work is preserved in the Monastery of St. Dionysios in Mount Athos (cod. 268). It is possible that Kausokalybites had used Sabbaites's work as his source of information, in order to recount the tradition about the foundation of the monastery. 1. On the location of the monastery and the wider area we have travellers' information already from the 19th century. See Finlay, G., Journal: Memoranda during a tour to Sinope, Trebizond and Samsoun (Amisos) in 1850, unpublished handwritten journal, The British School in Athens. MS R. 8.9 1850, 48α Fallmerayer, J.P., Das Hohenkloster Sumelas, Byzanz und das Abendland (Vienna 1943), pp. 189-225. 2. About the history of the Soumela monastery see Κυριακίδου, Ε.Θ., Ιστορία της παρά την Τραπεζούντα Ιεράς Βασιλικής Πατριαρχικής Σταυροπηγιακής Μονής της Υπεραγίας Θεοτόκου της Σουμελά (Athens 1898), pp. 25-78. Talbot Rice, D., Notes on some religious buildings in the city and vilayet of Trebizond, Βυζάντιον 5 (1929-1930), pp. 72-77 Μητροπολίτης Τραπεζούντος Χρυσάνθος (Φιλιππίδης), «Η Εκκλησία Τραπεζούντος», ΑΠ 4/5 (1933), pp. 468-480. Janin, R., Les églises et les monastères des grands centres byzantins (Paris 1975), pp. 274-276. Meinardus, Ο., The Panagia Soumela: Tradition and history, Orientalia Suecana 19-20 (1970-1971), pp. 63-80. Bryer, A. Winfield, D., The Byzantine Monuments and Topography of the Pontos Ι (DOS XX, Washington D.C. 1985), pp. 254-255, 283-285. Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium 3, p. 1932, see entry Soumela Monastery (Talbot, A.-M.). Λυμπερόπουλος, Β.Χ., Ο Βυζαντινός Πόντος, Η Αυτοκρατορία της Τραπεζούντας (1204-1261), ο χώρος, οι άνθρωποι, η οικονομία (Athens 1999), p. 106. 3. According to the tradition, the Vazelonos monastery was established in 270, while the Peristereota monastery in 752, see Bryer, A. Winfield, D., The Byzantine Monuments and Topography of the Pontos Ι (DOS XX, Washington D.C. 1985), p. 254. 4. Καυσοκαλυβίτης, Ν., Κτητορικόν της Μονής Σουμελά (Leipzig 1775), p. 40. Δημιουργήθηκε στις 30/6/2017 Σελίδα 3/6
5. Talbot Rice, D., Notes on some religious buildings in the city and vilayet of Trebizond, Βυζάντιον 5 (1929-1930), p. 73. 6. On the areas given to the monastery as indicated by the chrysobull of Alexios III Komnenos, with their Byzantine and present day names, see Bryer, A. Winfield, D., The Byzantine Monuments and Topography of the Pontos Ι (DOS XX, Washington D.C. 1985), p. 254. For a brief list of the monastery's real estate until the 19th century o.c., pp. 283-284. Among others, the monastery owned several chapels and some smaller monasteries. 7. About the institution of military service (εξκουσσεία) see particularly Ostrogorskij, G., Pour l histoire de l immunité a Byzance, Byzantion 28 (1958), pp. 236 237. 8. Ιστορία του Ελληνικού Ἐθνους, v. 10 (I'), p. 180-187. 9. Balance, S. Bryer, A. Winfield, D., Nineteenth Century Monuments in the City and Vilayet of Trebizond, Αρχείον Πόντου 30 (1970), pp. 270 284. 10. On the issue of various historical sources on the history of the Soumela monastery, and on their reliability see in the bibliography the various articles of O. Lampsidis and the article of E. Weigel. 11. Λαμψίδης, Ο., «Ο βίος των οσίων ιδρυτών της Μονής Σουμελά, κατά τον Νεόφυτον Καυσοκαλυβίτην», Αρχείον Πόντου 40 (1985), pp. 280 292. 12. Λαμψίδης, Ο., «Ο βίος των οσίων ιδρυτών της Μονής Σουμελά, κατά τον Νεόφυτον Καυσοκαλυβίτην», Αρχείον Πόντου 40 (1985), pp. 290-292. Βιβλιογραφία : Bryer A.A.M., Winfield D., "Nineteenth-Century Monuments in the City and Vilayet of Trebizond. Architectural and Historical Notes", Αρχείον Πόντου, 30, 1970-1971, 228-385 Χρύσανθος Φιλιππίδης, μητροπολίτης Τραπεζούντος, "Η Εκκλησία Τραπεζούντος", Αρχείον Πόντου, 4/5, 1933, 1-1.070 Winfield D., Bryer A., The Byzantine Monuments and Topography of the Pontos, 1 (With Maps and Plans by R. Anderson, and Drawings by J.Winfield), Birmingham 1985, Dumbarton Oaks Studies 20 Janin R., Les églises et les monastères des Grands Centres Byzantins. Bithynie, Hellespont, Latros, Galésios, Trébizonde, Athènes, Thessalonique, Paris 1975 Bryer A.A.M., Meryemana Manastir: The Monastery of Soumela: a brief history, επανεκτύπωση 1973, Birmingham 1972 Talbot A.M., "Soumela Monastery", Kazhdan A., The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium 3, Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford New York 1991, ODB 3, στήλη 1932 Κυριακίδης Επαμεινώνδας, Ιστορία της παρά την Τραπεζούντα Ιεράς Βασιλικής Πατριαρχικής Σταυροπηγιακής Μονής της Υπεραγίας Θεοτόκου της Σουμελά, Αθήναι 1898 Λυμπερόπουλος Β.Χ., Ο Βυζαντινός Πόντος. Η Αυτοκρατορία της Τραπεζούντας (1204-1261), ο χώρος, οι άνθρωποι, η οικονομία, Αθήνα 1999 Meinardus O.F.A., "The Panagia Soumela: Tradition and history", Orientalia Suecana, 19-20, 1970-1971, 63-80 Δημιουργήθηκε στις 30/6/2017 Σελίδα 4/6
Rice D.T., "Notes on some religious buildings in the city and vilayet of Trebizond", Βυζάντιον, 5, 1929-30, 47-81 Weigel G.E, "Ergebnisse der Vorarbeiten zur Gründungsgeschichte des Klosters Panagia Sumela nach der Kollation des Athoskodex 3802.268 S. XV Dionysiou, 423R-517R", Αρχείον Πόντου, 43, 1990-1991, 27-60 Λαμψίδης Ο., "Μιχαήλ του Παναρέτου περί των Μεγάλων Κομνηνών", Αρχείον Πόντου, 22, 1958, 5-128 Bryer A.A.M., Winfield D., Ballance S., "Nineteenth-Century Monuments in the City and Vilayet of Trebizond: Architectural and Historical Notes", Αρχείον Πόντου, 28, 1966-1967, 233-308 Λαμψίδης Ο., "Ο βίος των οσίων ιδρυτών της Μονής Σουμελά, κατά τον Νεόφυτον Καυσοκαλυβίτην", Αρχείον Πόντου, 40, 1985, 280-292 Λαμψίδης Ο., "Η Διασκευή του βίου των ιδρυτών της Μονής Σουμελά κατά Παρθένιον Μεταξόπουλον και Νεόφυτον Καυσοκαλυβίτην", Αρχείον Πόντου, 41, 1987, 3-50 Λαμψίδης Ο., "Δυο προγενέστεραι της "Διασκευής" μορφαί του ιστορικού της ιδρύσεως της Μονής Σουμελά. Μέρος Ι", Αρχείον Πόντου, 41, 1987, 221-229 Λαμψίδης Ο., Marinescu F., "Δυο προγενέστεραι της "Διασκευής" μορφαί του ιστορικού της ιδρύσεως της Μονής Σουμελά. Μέρος IΙ", Αρχείον Πόντου, 41, 1987, 221-229 Καυσοκαλυβίτης Ν., Κτητορικόν της Μονής Σουμελά, Leipzig 1775 Miklosich F., Müller J., Acta et diplomata graeca medii aevi sacra et profana I-VI, Vienna 1860-1890 Δικτυογραφία : THE MONASTERY OF PANAGIA SOUMELA - MATSOUKA http://www.scimitarmusic.com/pontos/history.html Ιερά μονή Παναγίας Σουμελά, Explorational guide of Pieria Mountain http://www.akalanthis.gr/soumela.htm Γλωσσάριo : exkusseia Byzantine term from Latin word excusatio (verb, excusare), with an analogous meaning. The institution of immunity (immunitas) was also known in Byzantium as exkuseia or exkusseia (εξκουσσεια). The earliest imperial charter (chrysobull) granting an exkuseia was issued only in the middle of the eleventh century (1045). The documents of the Byzantine period contain grants of immunities-exkuseias mostly given to monasteries. According to them the privileges granted by the charters of the Byzantine emperors were chiefly concerned with forbidding imperial officials to enter the privileged localities, with exemptions from taxation, and with the right of jurisdiction; in other words, here was the real medieval immunity on the western feudal model. firman In the Ottoman Empire, an imperial edict or commission signed and sealed by the Sultan. katholikon The main church in a monastic complex, heart of the monastic activity. paroikos (Byz.) Dependent peasants, usually on estates of large landowners or on ecclesiastical estates. patriarchal monastery (stauropegion) Δημιουργήθηκε στις 30/6/2017 Σελίδα 5/6
A monastery under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate, autonomous from the administration of the local bishop. The term stauropegion applied also to villages, meaning that in tax matters (mostly in regard to ecclesiastical taxes) they were under the control of the Patriarchate and not of the local diocese. ziteia Collection of contributions from the flock in behalf of the ecclesiastical authorities or monasteries. Πηγές Καυσοκαλυβίτης, Ν., Κτητορικόν της Μονής Σουμελά (Leipzig 1775). Miklosich, F. Muller, J., Acta et diplomata graeca medii aevi sacra et profana V (Vienna 1860 1890), pp. 276 281. Χρονολόγιο 4th century: According to the tradition, the monastery is established by the Athenian monks Barnabas and Sophronios. 1286-1390: Donations of the Grand Komnenoi of Trebizond to the monastery. The monastery is extensively restored. 1364: Chrysobull of Alexios III Komnenos, which validated the land posession and the tax exemptions of the monastery. 1461: Abolition of the state of the Grand Komnenoi by the Ottomans. 1512: An official decree (firman) of Selim I recognizes the privileges of the Soumela monastery. 1686-1744: Period of financial prosperity. Excellent relationship with the archbishops of Chaldia, who controlled the silver mines in the area. 1860-5: Bishopric of Rodopolis. Abolition of the restrictive measures against the cryptochristians. Another period of prosperity for the monastery. 1923: The monastery is abandoned. Δημιουργήθηκε στις 30/6/2017 Σελίδα 6/6