As Pontic Greeks fled Trabzon in 1922, they buried the Sumela Monastery's most sacred possessions, including the icon of the Virgin, allegedly carved by St Luke, in the ground. They doubted they would ever see them again but hoped they would be safe from looting or destruction 1/

The refugees built a new Soumela monastery on the slopes of Mt Vermio in northern Greece. It was along the old national road that connected western and central Macedonia and was an obligatory stop for motorists making the journey 2/

In 1931, Turkish PM Ismet Inonu allowed the refugees to return to Trabzon to retrieve the holy possessions, as part of a series of positive mutual gestures following the 1930 Greece-Turkey friendship agreement. Miraculously, the icons were still where they buried them 3/

After a few decades in museums in Athens and Thessaloniki, the icons were returned to the new Soumela monastery in northern Greece where they form an integral part of the 15 August festivities 4/

Today the old Soumela Monastery in Trabzon reopened after years of restoration work and will host a 15 August Orthodox service 5/5 https://www.ekathimerini.com/255243/article/ekathimerini/news/panagia-soumela-monastery-to-reopen-for-church-service