Archaeologists in Turkey discovered the burial site of St. Nicholas in 2022, before his remains were infamously stolen and moved to Italy in 1087
Archaeologists may have discovered the original burial site of St. Nicholas in Turkey, prior to a notorious historical grave robbery.
Whilst he’s immortalised in Christmas tales, Kris Kringle was a real person who lived during the fourth century. Father Christmas is based upon St. Nicholas, who was born in Turkey and served as a bishop in what is now called Demre, according to the Jerusalem Post. The saint was interred on the grounds of his church, St. Nicholas Church in what was then known as Myra. However, a new church was subsequently constructed over his grave on the orders of Roman Emperor Theodosis II, reports the Express.
But despite his tomb definitely being located in Turkey – this isn’t where his remains currently rest. Unlike numerous other saints, St Nick’s bones have all been preserved together in a single location – a secondary “grave” in Bari, Italy – following an ancient heist. In 2022, archaeologists in Turkey located the spot where he was originally laid to rest before his bones were relocated. Excavations enabled scientists to uncover the original ground floor of St. Nicholas’ Church, where he served as bishop.
According to Antalya Cultural Heritage Preservation Regional Board president Prof. Dr. Osman Eravar, it’s possible that some remains or relics might still be present there. Nevertheless, rising sea levels have resulted in parts of the original church becoming submerged, hampering efforts to discover any trace of the original Santa Claus in the Turkish ruins. In the 11th century, when the Byzantine Empire ruled Anatolia, they lost territory to the invading Seljuk Turks. At the same time, the divide between the Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches deepened, leading to the Byzantines, who were Greek Orthodox, losing control over St. Nicholas’ tomb.
This sparked fears among Christians that they would lose access to the tomb. So, in 1087, a group of Catholic Italian sailors from Bari took it upon themselves to steal St. Nicholas’ remains and bring them back to Bari. This event is documented in numerous historical texts and chronicles, but was viewed as theft by the Turks and Greek Orthodox Christians.
The remains of St Nicholas were housed in a church inaugurated by Pope Urban II, known as the Basilica di San Nicola, where they still reside today. Since the fall of the Roman Empire, many tales have been told about St Nicholas, including how he felled a demon-possessed tree, calmed a storm, and saved girls from prostitution. He is also said to have brought three people back to life and got into fights at the First Council of Nicaea.
Today, St. Nicholas is one of the most canonised saints in history, with countless miracles attributed to him. He is the patron saint of sailors, brewers, archers, children, unmarried people, merchants, repentant thieves and pawnbrokers. However, it was his renowned generosity that cemented his status as the bearded gift-giver we welcome every December. Other figures, like Odin, also influenced the character who determined which children were naughty or nice.
In 2017, some of St. Nicholas’ remains were relocated from Bari when they were loaned to Moscow. A single chronicle from the time records that more of his remains are in Venice – Venetian ships with crusaders took all the minor bone fragments that the Bari sailors couldn’t carry and transported them to Venice.
