Vandals defaced and damaged priceless Byzantine frescoes in the Holy Monastery of Panagia Sumela in Trabzon, on the coast of northeast Turky.

Sumela Monastery is a Greek Orthodox monastery dedicated to the Virgin Mary and attracts many pilgrims and tourists every year on her feast day on August 15. It was built in 386 AD.

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Th culprits destroyed Byzantine frescoes, while the Monastery was closed for repairs.

Turkish authorities deny the disaster, with the Deputy Director General of Cultural Heritage and Museums of the country’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism stating that there was no recent damage to the frescoes in the Monastery.