Under a Turkish church was found the tomb of St. Nicholas. He is the inspiration for Santa Claus’ Christmas story.
After discovering a third- and fourth-century basilica (or church) in which St. Nicholas was Bishop of Myra, the Roman Empire, the Demiroren News Agency (DHA), a Turkish News publication, researchers made the discovery. It is located in Turkey’s Antalya Province. The church was flooded by rising Mediterranean seawater during the Middle Ages. It has since been covered in alluvial deposits. To protect the original basilica, a second church was built over it in the seventh and eight centuries.
Archeologists discovered a fourth-century floor covering in the basilica from the early fourth century. This floor is believed to have been the one where St. Nicholas stepped on.
DHA was informed by Dr. Osman Elravsar, the Chairman of the Antalya Culture Heritage Preservation Regional Board that it was “the most significant discovery and finding concerning the exact location of his grave.”
Russian Orthodox believers gathered to kiss the relics Saint Nicholas at the Christ the Savior Cathedral, Moscow, May 22, 2017. (Photo credit should read NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP/Getty Images)
Tradition holds that the remains of his body were brought to Bari by merchants who came from the basilica in 1087. Eravsar however noted that there could be other relics in the tomb.
The beloved fourth-century bishop, who lived between 270 and 343 A.D. is a saint that is highly venerated by Christians around the globe, especially in the Roman Catholic Churches and Orthodox Churches.
As Breitbart News Rome Bureau Chief Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.
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Nicholas was born in the third century at Patara, which was then part of Greece but is now part Turkey. As a young man, he was elected Bishop of Myra. He is known for his generosity and support for those in need. Santa Claus, a variation of Saint Nicholas, was born from his reputed gift-giving habit. The bishop believed Nicholas wore the red coat and hat.
Both Catholics and Orthodox venerate St. Nicholas as they do the Orthodox. He is also the patron saint for merchants and sailors, as well pawnbrokers and archers, travelers and bankers, children, and repentant thieves.
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DHA observed that many Christian tourists visit Demre every year to see the church where St. Nicholas was crowned as Bishop.
