Imera Monastery Church The Imera Monastery, located in the village of Olucak in Gümüşhane Province, is a Christian Orthodox monastery famous for its distinctive eastern-facing entrance and remarkable lighting methods. It is regarded as one of the most important religious landmarks in the eastern Black Sea area. The monastery was surrounded by tall walls in 1740, with residential buildings added in 1827. While the precise date of the monastery’s original establishment is unclear, it underwent restoration in 1859 by High Priestess Roxane. Some historical documents suggest that the original church structure dates back to 1350. The structure is mainly built from cut stones, , and masonry work. The three apses located on the eastern side are slimmer and lower than the main body of the building. The roof features a stepped design, with the central part of the naos covered by a polygonal dome. The walls of the building are composed of cut stone and decorated with carved stone reliefs on the facade, along with arches that have straight edges. On one side, a loophole window aligns with two adjacent arched windows. Illumination is provided by three tall windows—one positioned beside each rood screen—and octagonal pulleys at each end, flanked by crenellated windows. The dome’s colonnades are divided by arches that extend halfway along each aisle. Each window is topped with pointed arched pediments adorned with motifs of angels and double-headed eagles. Access to the interior is through a stone-carved door located on the western end of the southern wall. The entrance of the temple is bordered by half-walls, and there are indications that it originally featured two doors designed in the politeion style. The innermost section displays three distinct friezes: one depicting grapes sprouting from above a vase, another showcasing geometric patterns surrounding each column, and a third decorated with arrowhead motifs. The columns are linked by pointed arches and reinforced with metal braces, while each nave is topped with a vaulted ceiling. The central area is covered by an elevated dome shaped like a lantern, which also shelters the niches on the apses. The frescoes, once painted with erasable materials, have mostly vanished, leaving only faint remnants. If you have any questions or inquiries regarding Imera Monastery Church, please feel free to contact us at [email protected] or simply message us via Whatsapp, and we will reply as soon as possible.