1500-year-old monastery in Bodrum resists time

A 1500-year-old monastery in the touristic Torba Neighborhood of Muğla's Bodrum district is resisting time to avoid collapse. Despite a restoration project being prepared in 2003, not a single nail was hammered into the monastery and its annexes, which broke the hearts of those who saw it. It was requested that the monastery be restored and opened to cultural tourism.

1500-YEAR-OLD MONASTERY STANDS WITH PLANKS

It was learned that the monastery, which underwent a restoration project in 2003 by the Muğla Cultural and Natural Heritage Preservation Board and Ankara University, but not a single nail has been driven into it to date, was supported by planks from time to time to keep it standing, and not a single nail has been driven into it to date.

IT amazes those who see it, but tourists cannot visit it

Stating that tourists watch the monastery and its annexes from a distance, which are surrounded by wire fences due to the risk of collapse and are located on private property, professional tour guide Cem Kale said, “The monastery is in the middle of a touristic facility where approximately 5-6 thousand tourists are located and is on the beach where tourists walk day and night. It has been sitting idle for years, we cannot understand whether they are waiting for it to be demolished. The restoration must be completed as soon as possible and it must be opened to cultural tourism. Otherwise, there are constant earthquakes in the region. Let there be no victims of a 1500-year-old earthquake.”