A groundbreaking archaeological discovery could potentially rewrite the history of the burial location of St. Nicholas – the saint who inspired the legend of Santa Claus.

A groundbreaking archaeological discovery could potentially rewrite the history of the burial location of St. Nicholas, the saint who inspired the legend of Santa Claus.

Saint Nicholas of Myra — also known as Nicholas of Bari — was born in the maritime city of Patara, in what is modern-day Turkey.

‘The discovery of a sarcophagus near the church, which is believed to be the resting place of St. Nicholas, could indicate that this site may indeed be the sacred area in question.’

Saint Nicholas was a Christian bishop celebrated for his generosity, kindness, and numerous miracles. Because of charitable causes — especially toward children — Saint Nicholas was known as the patron saint of children.

St. Nicholas died on Dec. 6, 343 AD.

To this day, Christians honor Saint Nicholas on Dec. 6 with Saint Nicholas Day or the Feast of Saint Nicholas.

The St. Nicholas Church was erected in 520 AD on the foundations of an older church where St. Nicholas served as bishop in the ancient city of Myra — what is now the modern-day municipality of Demre in Turkey.

Historians had previously said that the remains of St. Nicholas were initially buried in Myra but later transported to Italy.

The Catholic News Agency reported, “Amid the takeover of the Turkish region by the Muslim Seljuks, Nicholas’ bones were purportedly moved by merchants from Myra to Bari in 1087 — and a few bones reportedly made their way to Venice — not long after the Great Schism between Catholics and the Orthodox in 1054.”

However, a groundbreaking archaeological discovery is challenging the narrative of the final resting place of Saint Nicholas.

A team of archaeologists has made an eye-opening discovery of a “surprise” sarcophagus in Turkey that could rewrite the history of St. Nicholas. The archaeologists say they have unearthed a special sarcophagus at the St. Nicholas Church in Demre that could be the burial ground of St. Nicholas.

“We believe that we have encountered a sarcophagus to be in situ (original position) for the first time,” proclaimed associate professor Ebru Fatma Findik, who is heading the excavation team through Hatay Mustafa Kemal University’s Department of Art History.

The sarcophagus was reportedly found in the church’s two-story annex.

“While drilling inside the structure, we encountered a surprise sarcophagus,” Findik stated. “We are working inside the 20-meter-long, two-story structure that borders the church courtyard from the south. This work, among the undecorated sarcophagus group, is made of local stone and has a slightly high barrel roof.”

Findik noted of the promising archaeological find, “According to initial evaluations, its similarity to the types of sarcophagi in the region is striking.”

“The discovery of a sarcophagus near the church, which is believed to be the resting place of St. Nicholas, could indicate that this site may indeed be the sacred area in question,” Findik continued. “We can say that we have reached archaeological evidence that confirms historical sources about St. Nicholas’ burial place being in the city’s sacred area.”

Findik told Daily Sabah, “Our biggest hope is to find an inscription on the sarcophagus. This would help clarify the burial contents and allow us to determine the exact period it dates from. While the lid of the sarcophagus has been uncovered, only a small section of the burial chamber has been exposed, and further excavation is expected to reveal more details in the coming months.”

“The fact that a sarcophagus has been unearthed very close to the church that is thought to contain the tomb of St. Nicholas excites us greatly,” Findik said.

Archaeology experts also discovered several “terracotta oil lamp fragments and animal bones,” which they say indicates that it is a burial site.

However, Findik conceded that the exact location of Saint Nicholas’ burial remains uncertain.

Findik and his team will continue to excavate the area around the ancient church in an effort to contribute to his country’s tourism.

The project is financed by Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

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