Trabzon Sumela Monastery part 10 - folk medicine in anatolia
336-280 demoA report concerning the restoration of Sumela Monastery was recently prepared and relief plans of the eight map sections covered by the monastery drawn up.
THE HEALING WATERS OF THE SUMELA MERYEM ANA MONASTERY (The Monastery of the Virgin Mary)
This short note has been taken from an article by Sabahattin Eyuboglu entitled ‘Anadolu’da HalkHekimligi’ (Folk Medicine in Anatolia), published in Tipta Yenilikler, No:6, February, 1961 „ pps 76-77.
We visited the Sumela (Meryem Ana) Monastery and its environs. This monastery resembles an eagle’s nest which has been half hewn into the steep cliff face above a pine forest at the foot of the Zigana Mountains. Apart from its narrow entrance there is no other possible access to this place. Its known history stretches back as far as the I6th century and most of the frescos on its crumbling walls date from the I7th and I8th centuries. It looks as if a number of repairs and additions have been made to its bold architecture. Into a sacred pool in the centre of the Monastery large drops of water drip at irregular intervals from thirty or forty metres above. It is these drops of water which have offered hope to sufferers of incurable ailments over the centuries and made the Monastery rich. In the old days both Christians and Muslims came here from far and wide to take the cure, first offering impressive gifts and sacrifices. Twenty or so sick persons arrived within the halfhourorsothat we were inside the Monastery, among them a father who had brought his crippled son from Izmit. The sick people undressed and stood waiting for the healing drops to fall on them. Due to the fact that the drops did not fall in the same places, a cure consisting of seven, eleven or twenty drops of water could last quite a long time, thus, drops of water falling frequently and regularly were regarded as auspicious. A drop suddenly falling on a sick person after a long wait must have been an exciting experience. The colourful and impressive scenery visible on the climb up to the Monastery and on the descent, the sound of countless waterfalls in the valley and the fragrance of the forest enhanced the awe-inspiring atmosphere of the Monastery. It is worth dwelling on the fact that in many parts of Anatolia the Virgin Mary is regarded as a source of health by Muslims, too. Perhaps the Virgin Mary filled the place once occupied by the pagan deities of ancient times.
