Turkey reopens Sumela Monastery after restoration

Turkey's historic Sumela Monastery was officially reopened on Tuesday with the country's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan attending the online ceremony.

It is one of Turkey's crucial faith tourism centres and underwent a restoration process that included landscaping, as well as the geological and geotechnical maintenance of rocks.

President Erdogan rebuffed criticism over the court decision that paved the way for Constantinople’s iconic church Hagia Sophia to be reopened as a mosque last week.

“If we were a nation targeting the symbols of other beliefs, the Sumela Monastery which we have had for the last five centuries, would be gone forever,” Erdogan said via video conferencing.

“On August 15, our Orthodox citizens will be able to perform the [Litany of the Blessed] Virgin Mary religious service, which was suspended during the restoration period at the Sumela Monastery," he added.