
Finally, scientists might have discovered the real tomb where Santa Claus is actually buried. Professor Dr Osman Eravşar, the president of the Antalya Cultural Heritage Preservation Regional Board, made this shocking announcement last week. A group of experts believe that the body of Santa Claus is buried beneath the floor of a church in Turkey. According to the research, he was buried in a fourth-century AD church in Turkey's Antalya province. However, his remains were stolen around 700 years after his death, so the exact location of his burial has always remained a mystery. The church in question is located in the Turkish town of Myra and was named Demre in 2015. It was discovered in 2017 that the church was built on the foundations of an older Christian church where Saint Nicholas was a bishop.
The new research has concluded that the body of Santa Claus might be buried beneath the Demre church in Turkey. The team discovered unique mosaics and stone flooring that was designed the same way as the previous sanctuary. As a result of this discovery, scientists believe Saint Nicholas' grave was submerged by rising Mediterranean sea levels during the Middle Ages. "When the screed floor slab laid in the 1970s was removed where it was, an excavation was carried out to find out what's under it. The result was an early 4th-century floor covering of the church."
According to some theories, Saint Nicholas’s body was first buried in Turkey's Antalya province. However, his body remains were stolen later and relocated to Bari, Italy. Furthermore, many believe that relics of St. Nicholas' body were stolen and then sold, traded, or gifted to people and churches all over the world. A theory claims that the knights who were supposed to transport Saint Nicholas’s body to Italy brought a relic from the saint to Ireland, where it was eventually buried at St Nicholas Church in Newtown Jerpoint.
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Santa Claus traces his origin story to Saint Nicholas, a Greek born in the late third century, around 280 A.D. He became the bishop of Myra, a small Roman town in modern Turkey. Because of the great stories from his life, he became known as a patron of children and a bringer of magical gifts. An anonymous illustrated poem titled "The Children's Friend" published in 1821 went a long way toward shaping the modern Santa and associating him with Christmas.
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