The “return” of the relics from the “dark basements” to the renovated monastery, which functions as a museum, is requested by the World Council of Pontic Hellenism
Relics of the historic Monastery of Panagia Sumela in Trebizond, which are kept in the basements of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople and in the Archaeological Museum of Ankara, are requested by the World Council of Pontic Hellenism (PASPE) to be placed in their natural place.
The historic Monastery of Panagia Soumela has recently been renovated and functions as a museum, which can house the relics.
As the author, historian and honorary president of the Panhellenic Federation of Pontic Societies Stefanos Tanimanidis points out to APE-MBE, these are dozens of relics of the monastery, sacred utensils, vestments, handwritten texts and gospels of the Monastery that have been recorded.
According to him, this issue has already been raised since 2014, while the relics are also presented in the relevant publication of the association “Panagia Sumela”, entitled “The sacred relics of the Pontian race”.
Sta relics kept in Hagia Sophia, Constantinople include, among others, the original wooden crucifix of the Holy Cross, in the form of a diptych, by Manuel III of Magalokomnenos, the Chrysovulo of Emperor Alexios III, the monastery’s four gospels in homeographic reproduction, an embroidered icon of the Virgin of Sumela monastery from 1758, high priestly mats , ecclesiastical textiles, niches, monastic matrix of the monastery, a holy Gospel with Russo-Greek writing, copies of Patriarchal seals, etc.
Among the relics found at Archaeological Museum of Ankaraincluding 67 manuscript codices and dozens of books of the Monastery, lecterns, banners and other objects.
The matter was raised recently at the meeting of representatives of the World Council of Pontic Hellenism, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs George Gerapetritis, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At the same time, the Council sent a letter a few days ago to the President of Turkey, Tayyip Erdogan, requesting a meeting with him on the matter, during his upcoming visit to Thessaloniki next December.
In addition, in 2017 the Ministries of Tourism and Culture of Turkey submitted a request to the international community for the return of relics of the Panagia Sumela Monastery from museums abroad (Dublin, Oxford, etc.) to Turkey.
In Greece, in the new Monastery of Panagia Soumela, on the heights of Vermio in Kastania Veroia, the historical icon of Panagia Soumela, the Gospel of Saint Christopher from the 6th century and the Cross of Emperor Manuel from the 14th century are kept.
As Mr. Tanimanidis points out, the order for the transfer of the three relics from Turkey to Greece was made after a meeting, in 1930, of the then Prime Ministers of Greece and Turkey, Eleftherios Venizelos and Ismet Inonou, and certainly after a joint decision and their agreement . And the transfer of these relics to Greece took place 1931 with the granting by the Turkish government of the relevant license and the conclusion of a relevant protocol between Greece and Turkey.
Based on the above, the World Council of Pontic Hellenism requests that the relics of the historic Monastery of Panagia Sumela come out of the dark basements, where they have remained dormant for decades, so that they can be studied by young historians and researchers and that they can be admired and worshiped by the thousands of visitors to the historic Sumela Monastery in Matsouka, Trebizond every year.
Source :Skai
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