• Archaeologists believe they have discovered the final resting place of Saint Nicholas.
• The saint’s burial place was uncovered under a Byzantine cathedral in Turkey.
• He is well known for his practice of delivering needy people gifts in secret, which gave rise to the modern-day character of Santa Claus.

The ultimate resting site of Saint Nicholas, the figure who served as the model for “Santa Claus,” is thought to have been discovered by archaeologists in Turkey.

Under a Byzantine cathedral in Turkey, the saint’s burial place from more than 1,600 years ago was uncovered.

Although experts already knew that the saint’s body was interred in a church from the fourth century in Turkey’s Antalya province, the precise location of his original grave remained a mystery because his remains were taken about 700 years after he passed away.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and the location of a fresco showing Jesus are two clues provided by a recent excavation of a church that indicate to it being the final resting place of Santa Claus.
The basilica was demolished in the Middle Ages due to the Mediterranean Sea’s increasing waters, and the church was constructed over its foundation.

When specialists discovered holes under the floor of the more recent church in 2017, they started working on the location. Over the subsequent years, they painstakingly removed the mosaic flooring to expose the older foundation.

The Saint, who lived between 270 and 343 AD, is well known for his practise of delivering needy people gifts in secret, which gave rise to the modern-day character of Santa Claus.

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