Opening, Antalya Cultural Heritage Preservation Regional Board President Prof. Dr. It was announced by Osman Eravşar. According to him, the find was made in the church named after St. Nicholas, who was born and lived in this region.

What did archaeologists find?

• Eravshar noted that the present church was built in the VII-VIII centuries over an earlier church whose bishop was St. Nicholas.
• New finds were made precisely in the ruins of the early church, which was buried under the sediments.
• The temple where St. Nicholas served in the III-IV centuries was found 7-8 meters deep into the ground.
• During the excavations, the ground on which one of the world’s most famous saints walked was also discovered.

However, it is worth adding “maybe”, as the tomb itself has not yet been excavated. Archaeologists will first do more research and then, if necessary, dig to determine who the tomb belongs to.

Excavations were carried out when the floor slab laid in the 1970s was removed. The result was the decking of the early 4th century church. The excavators are preparing a publication about it. Actually, this is St. times when Nicholas lived. This is an extremely important discovery, the first find of that period. We consider the find as a treasure that will further expand the architectural history and iconographic value of the temple. Will be ready to review soon,
– says Professor Eravshar.

The problem is that the temple is periodically flooded – almost 2 meters below sea level. This can make the job even harder.

Excavations in the church of the city of Demre / Photo Demirören

Excavations in the church of the city of Demre / Photo Demirören

Excavations in the church of the city of Demre / Photo Demirören

Saint Nicholas: what is known about him

Saint Nicholas (also known as Nicholas the Agreeable, Nicholas the Wonderworker, Nicholas Myrliki) was born in Patara, modern Turkey, in one of the major port cities, in the family of a wealthy wheat merchant. Later, he became a bishop in Myra (today’s Demre) and was buried there. The church in which Nicholas served as bishop is very important in the Christian world, especially for the Orthodox. Thousands of tourists visit this place every year.

In the church, there is a Roman sarcophagus believed to belong to the saint, decorated with fish scales and acanthus leaves. However, the remains were removed from it and transported back in the Middle Ages, so it is still unclear who they belonged to.

The sarcophagus in the church of the city of Demre / Photo by Demirören