Archaeologists in Turkey have discovered a sarcophagus believed to belong to St. Nicholas, the 4th century bishop who provided the inspiration for the character of Santa Claus.
“We believe that this is the first time we have encountered a sarcophagus in situ,” said Associate Professor Ebul Fatma Findik, head of the excavation team at the Department of Art History at Hatay Mustafa Kemal University. Ta. fox news.
The sarcophagus was discovered in the two-story annex St. Nicholas Church in Antalya's Demre district during excavations conducted by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. In the 4th century, St. Nicholas was a bishop living in the ancient city of Myra.
“While excavating inside the structure, we came across an amazing sarcophagus,” Findik said.
“We are working in a 20-meter-long two-storey building that borders the church courtyard from the south. It has a slightly higher barrel-shaped roof.
Findok said the sarcophagus, which has a handle on its lid and is about 2 meters long, is estimated to have a height of 1.5 to 2 meters underground.
“Based on early assessments, the similarities with other types of sarcophagi in the area are striking,” Findik continued.
Findik explained to Turkish news agency A News that the exact location of St. Nicholas' burial place remains unknown.
“Some historical sources state that Saint Nicholas was buried near the sacred area of the city of Myra,” Findik told A News.
“The discovery of a sarcophagus near the church where St. Nicholas is thought to be buried may indicate that this site may indeed be the sacred site in question. We can say that we have arrived at supporting archaeological evidence ” about the burial site of St. Nicholas being in a sacred area of the city. ”
Prior to the discovery of the sarcophagus, the archaeological team also discovered other interesting artifacts.
“In addition, during the excavation, many terracotta oil lamp fragments and animal bones were unearthed before reaching the sarcophagus,” Findik said.
Findik said the team will continue to gather more information.
“The fact that a sarcophagus was excavated so close to the church where the tomb of St. Nicholas is thought to be is very exciting to us,” Findik said.
Archaeologists in Turkiye believe they have discovered the tomb of Saint Nicholas, famous as Santa Claus 🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/T1Wx40gp7P
— Daily Turkic (@DailyTurkic) December 6, 2024
“As part of the project, we are happy to complete the excavation and restoration of the area where the sarcophagus is located, contributing to tourism in our country.”
Photo courtesy: ©inhauscreative
