A sarcophagus found buried 20 feet under the church of Saint Nicholas is set to get carbon dating to reveal if it is indeed the final resting place of the Saint who inspired Father Christmas.
The sarcophagus was found during excavations at the Church of St Nicholas in the Demre district of Antalya, in Turkey, and remains a mystery.
Carbon dating will now reveal whether the sarcophagus is the tomb of the fourth-century Greek bishop St Nicholas, who inspired Father Christmas.
The six-metre (19-foot) long limestone sarcophagus was unearthed at a depth of 20 feet under the two-story annex of the Church of St Nicholas.
This find is considered the most remarkable discovery so far among the excavations carried out since 1989 in the church, which is thought to be the final resting place of the saint.
Although the location of the tomb strengthens the possibility that it belongs to St Nicholas, the archaeological team now hopes to find an inscription that could provide more clues about the sarcophagus’s contents.
The General Director of Cultural Heritage and Museums, Birol Incecikoz, told local media: “We need to scientifically prove the claim that there is a tomb of St Nicholas.
“The estimate is yes. Our teacher Ebru Fatma Fındik made this discovery in Demre.
“She is doing a lot of scientific work on it. Our teacher is working on it intensively.
“The sarcophagus lid actually corresponds to the period within the scope of the study. But is it the tomb of St Nicholas?”
Widely regarded as the inspiration for Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas dedicated his life to protecting children and sailors and helping poor young people.
He was born in the ancient city of Patara in the third century AD and served as a clergyman in Myra.
Following his death on 6th December 343, he was declared a saint and is believed to have been buried at the church in Demre.
A portion of St Nicholas’ bones were stolen by merchants from the Italian city of Bari in 1043 during the Crusades, but historical sources indicate that part of his remains may still lie in Turkey.
To find out more about the author, editor or agency that supplied this story – please click below.
Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
The Ananova page is created by and dedicated to professional, independent freelance journalists. It is a place for us to showcase our work. When our news is sold to our media partners, we will include the link here.
