New Discovery Points to Real-Life Saint Who Inspired Legend of Santa Claus

While many a child will be looking to the skies to see a man dressed in red this Christmas, archeologists in Turkey believe they’ve found the sarcophagus containing the remains of the saint who inspired the legend of Kris Kringle.

Professor Ebru Fatma Findik, head of the excavation team at Hatay Mustafa Kemal University’s Department of Art History, told Fox News he and his fellow researchers “believe that we have encountered a sarcophagus to be in situ (original position) for the first time.”

The discovery was made at St. Nicholas Church in the Demre district of Antalya, Turkey.

Saint Nicholas — the real man who inspired the character of Santa Claus — was a fourth-century bishop in the ancient city of Myra, now known as Demre. Some historical sources suggest he may have been buried in a nearby “sacred” space.

Archaeologists in Türkiye believe they have discovered the tomb of Saint Nicholas, famously known as Santa Claus pic.twitter.com/T1Wx40gp7P

— Daily Turkic (@DailyTurkic) December 6, 2024

Nicholas died in 343 CE and, around 200 years after his death, the bishop’s remains were moved to St. Nicholas Church, which was erected in his honor.

Excavators with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism said they “encountered a surprise sarcophagus” while drilling inside the historic church structure.

“We are working inside the 20-meter-long, two-story structure that borders the church courtyard from the south,” explained Findik. “This work, among the undecorated sarcophagus group, is made of local stone and has a slightly high barrel roof.”

He told the Turkish outlet A News, “The discovery of a sarcophagus near the church, which is believed to be the resting place of St. Nicholas, could indicate that this site may indeed be the sacred area in question. We can say that we have reached archaeological evidence that confirms historical sources about St. Nicholas’ burial place being in the city’s sacred area.”

Findik said he and his team of researchers are “happy” to continue their “excavation and restoration of the area where the sarcophagus is located and contribute to our country’s tourism.”

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