During excavation work in the two-story annexes of the St. Nicholas Church in Demre, Antalya, a sarcophagus was uncovered. The church, believed to have been constructed near the burial site of St. Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra who inspired the character of "Santa Claus," has been under excavation since 1989. The church is located near what is thought to be the burial site of St. Nicholas, and excavations have been ongoing in the surrounding area.
This year, the church was included in the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's "Legacy for the Future" project, and excavations have been led by Dr. Ebru Fatma Fındık, Associate Professor at Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, for the past two years. The ongoing excavation has revealed the sarcophagus.
Dr. Ebru Fatma Fındık told Anadolu Agency that they had been working on the two-story annexes of the church. "In 2022, we revealed the early stages of the basilica, and our excavation work continues to provide new scientific data. As part of the project, we are conducting studies in a two-story annex, 20 meters long, which borders the church's courtyard to the south. During our excavation, we encountered a surprise sarcophagus, which naturally made us very happy," she said.
Dr. Fındık stated that the sarcophagus was made from local limestone and was part of an unadorned sarcophagus group. The lid of the sarcophagus is slightly raised, with a barrel-vaulted roof and an estimated length of about 2 meters. She noted that the underground part of the sarcophagus is believed to be 1.5 to 2 meters deep. "Our initial evaluations show that it resembles other sarcophagi found in the region," she added.
Before reaching the sarcophagus through excavation, the team discovered animal bones and numerous fragments of fired clay lamps, leading them to believe that the site was used for burial.
"OUR GREATEST EXPECTATION IS TO FIND AN INSCRIPTION ON THE SARCOPHAGUS"
Dr. Fındık explained that the team continues to work on fully uncovering the sarcophagus and said, "Our greatest expectation is to find an inscription on the sarcophagus. This would not only help us understand the burial inside but also give us a clearer idea of which period the sarcophagus belongs to. Currently, we can see the lid of the sarcophagus, and we've uncovered a small section of the sarcophagus itself. Over time, we will deepen our excavation and fully uncover it. It's still too early to say the exact date of the sarcophagus. It would be more accurate to provide this information once our scientific studies are completed."
CONFIRMING HISTORICAL SOURCES ABOUT ST. NICHOLAS' BURIAL SITE
Dr. Fındık emphasized the importance of the sarcophagus find for both regional history and the scientific community. She highlighted that one of the main goals of the research is to shed light on the long-debated question of the location of St. Nicholas' burial, which is significant to the Christian world.
She explained that researchers have made different suggestions regarding the location of the burial, but it remains uncertain. "Some historical sources mention that St. Nicholas was buried near the sacred area of the city of Myra. 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," Fındık concluded.
