A sarcophagus found during recent excavations in the annexed structures of the Church of St. Nicholas in Demrein southern Turkey, could be the tomb of Saint Nicholas, the Greek bishop and philanthropist who inspired the figure of Santa Claus.
The researcher Ebru Fatma Findikwho is leading the excavation work, told Turkish media that “some historical sources claim that Saint Nicholas was buried near the sacred city of Myra,” located in the region of what is now the Turkish province of Antalya.
“The discovery of a sarcophagus near the church believed to house his tomb suggests that this could actually be the sacred place“explained the scientist.
“We can say that we have discovered archaeological evidence that support historical claims about the sacred place where Saint Nicholas was buried,” Findik concluded.
Now they wait “find an inscription on the sarcophagus”he added, which “would not only shed light on the contents inside, but would also allow us to determine more precisely the era to which the sarcophagus belongs.”
The mayor of Demre, Fahri Duranfor its part, was more cautious this Friday regarding the spectacular announcement.
“It’s still an uncertain situation. We don’t know exactly what will come out of it. Once the archaeologists finish their work and finalize their findings, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism will make an official statement,” said the mayor.
Around the church of San Nicolás excavations have been carried out since 1989. Within the project, archaeologists are working on the two-story annex structure, which spans 20 meters and adjoins the church courtyard to the south.
The sarcophagus, made of local limestone, It measures about two meters in length and before reaching it during drilling, animal bones and numerous pieces of terracotta, oil lamps were found, which led researchers to suspect that it was a tomb
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