 During the following centuries a strong Greek community continued to live in the city and the Pontus region.The school was founded by Sevastos Kyminitis, a forerunner of the modern Greek Enlightenment, in 1682/3 and became the most influential center of Greek education in Pontus.The school was initially housed at the Sümela Monastery, with its main goal being the cultivation of the national and religious identity of the local Greek communities.