Archaeologists in Turkey believe they have found the final resting place of Saint Nicholas, the inspiration behind ‘Santa Claus’.
The burial spot of the saint who died more than 1,600 years ago was discovered underneath a Byzantine church in Turkey.
While researchers already knew that the saint’s body was buried in the fourth-century church in Turkey’s Antalya province, his remains were stolen around 700 years after he died, so the specific spot where he was originally buried remained a mystery.
Now, a new excavation of a church, containing several hints including the building’s similarity to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and the placement of a fresco depicting Jesus, point to it being Santa Claus’ burial place.
The church was built on top of the foundation of a previous basilica that was destroyed in the Middle Ages by rising sea levels in the Mediterranean.
Experts conducted work at the site in 2017 when they found gaps under the newer church’s floor and spent the past few years carefully removing the mosaic flooring to reveal the ancient foundation.
The church in question is located on Turkey’s southern coast, in the town of Demre and built in A.D. 520 on top of an older church where Saint Nicholas served as bishop in the fourth century A.D.
Saint Nicholas is popularly known by his modern nicknames of Santa Claus, Saint Nick and Kris Kringle by children around the world.
The Saint who lived between 270 and 343, is most famous for his habit of secret gift-giving to the poor, inspiring the modern-day figure of Santa Claus.
