A groundbreaking archaeological discovery could rewrite the history of the burial site 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 modern-day Turkey.
“The discovery of a sarcophagus believed to be the resting place of Saint Nicholas near the church may indicate that this site may indeed be the sacred site in question. ”
St. Nicholas was a Christian bishop known for his generosity, kindness, and numerous miracles. Because of his charity work, especially towards children, Saint Nicholas was known as the patron saint of children.
Saint Nicholas died on December 6, 343 AD.
To this day, Christians honor St. Nicholas on December 6th as St. Nicholas Day, or St. Nicholas Feast.
Saint Nicholas Church built It was built in 520 AD on the foundations of an old church in the ancient city of Myra (now the city of Demre in Turkey), where Saint Nicholas was bishop.
Historians have previously said that St. Nicholas' body was originally buried in Myra, but was later transferred to Italy.
of catholic news agency According to the report, “Nicolai's bones were reportedly moved from Myra to Bari by merchants in 1087 during the occupation of the Turkish region by the Muslim Seljuks, and a small number of bones were transported to Venice. This was not long after the great schism between Catholics and Christians. Orthodoxy in 1054. ”
But a groundbreaking archaeological discovery casts doubt on the story of Saint Nicholas' final resting place.
A team of archaeologists has discovered an “amazing” sarcophagus in Turkey that could rewrite the history of Saint Nicholas. Archaeologists have announced that they have unearthed a special sarcophagus in the Church of St. Nicholas in Demre, which may be the burial place of St. Nicholas.
“We believe this is the first time we have encountered a sarcophagus in situ.” declared Associate Professor Ebru Fatma Findik is leading the excavation team through the Faculty of Art History at Hatay Mustafa Kemal University.
The sarcophagus was reportedly found in a two-story annex of the church.
“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.
“Based on initial assessment, the similarities with the types of sarcophagi in the area are striking,” Findik said of the promising archaeological find.
“The discovery of a sarcophagus believed to be the resting place of Saint Nicholas near the church may indicate that this site may indeed be the sacred site in question.” Mr. Findik continued. “We can now say that we have arrived at archaeological evidence that supports the historical record that the burial place of St. Nicholas was located in a sacred area of the city.”
Findik said. Daily mackerel“Our greatest hope is to find an inscription on the sarcophagus. This will help reveal the contents of the burial and allow us to determine exactly when it happened. The lid of the sarcophagus will be revealed and The chamber is exposed and further excavations are expected to reveal more details in the coming months. ”
“The fact that a sarcophagus was unearthed so close to the church where St. Nicholas' tomb is thought to be is very exciting to us,” Findik said.
Archeology experts also found several “terracotta oil lamp fragments and animal bones,” which they say indicate a burial site.
However, Findik admitted that the exact location of St. Nicholas' burial remains unknown.
Findik and his team plan to continue excavating the area around the ancient church in order to contribute to the country's tourism.
This project is funded by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
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