VEZALON MONASTERY

Located 7 km west of Kiremitli Village in Maçka district, within pine forests, this monastery also features a cave and a holy spring. The first monastery was established in front of the cave. The church and monks' cells in front of the cave, which remain standing today, date back to the 19th century. The chapel 9 km north of the complex dates to the 15th century and contains valuable frescoes. The Kuştul Hızır İlyas Monastery (Gregorius Peristera) was founded in the mid-8th century near Şimşirli Village in Maçka district and later developed. It is known as Peristera. Only the foundations of the monastery have survived to the present day. The Kaymaklı Monastery is located within the boundaries of the central district of our province, on the side of Boztepe overlooking the Değirmendere valley. It was built in 1424. The complex consists of a rectangular area with a single apse church in the center, a bell tower in the northwest, and a small chapel and monastery cells in the southeast. The monastery structures have undergone numerous repairs. The oldest part is the pentagonal apse section of the church. The frescoes inside the church date back to the 18th century.