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Turkish Archaeologist Makes Seasonal Plea for Santa Claus
December 28, 2009
Novinite
Archaeologist Nevzat Cevik, head of archaeologicial research in the Turkish town of Demre, has asked his government to demand the return of the bones of St Nicholas to his home town.
The 3rd century saint, on whom the tradition of Santa Claus was modeled, gained a reputation for performing miracles and for his acts of charity when he was the bishop of the Greek city of Myra.
On his death he was canonized as St Nicholas, and his remains were buried in thee Mediterranean town of Demre. In the 11th century, Italian sailors took the remains to the port town of Bari, where they are still kept.
Professor Cevik maintains that Nicholas had made it clear during his lifetime that he wished to be interred in his home town, and that the Turkish government should negotiate with its Italian counterpart to honor the saint’s wishes.
Relics of St. Nicholas in Italy‘Santa Claus’s bones must be brought back to Turkey from Italy’
28 December 2009, Monday
TODAY’S ZAMAN
A scholar from Akdeniz University has called for the return of the bones of St. Nicholas, better known as Santa Claus, from the Italian city of Bari, where his bones were taken after being stolen, to Antalya’s Demre district, where the saint died and was buried.
Speaking to the Anatolia news agency, Professor Nevzat Çevik, who leads archeological research in Demre, said St. Nicholas is a well-known Christian saint and that he has become very popular in Europe, adding that many churches have been built in Europe in his honor.
“The saint was born and spent his life in Anatolia,” Çevik said. Historical sources say St. Nicholas were born in Patara, a previous name of Antalya, and died in 343 in Demre. The saint’s bones were stolen by Italian craftsmen in 1087 and brought to Bari, where they were interred in a church dedicated to him.
Çevik reiterated St. Nicholas’s remarks in which he said, “I was born here, raised here and I will be buried here.” The professor added that “we should respect the wish of St. Nicholas. The bones should be brought back to his grave in Demre.”
Çevik has also urged state authorities to take steps to contact their Italian counterparts. “The ministries should work to move the bones back to Turkey.” The scholar also emphasized the significance of St. Nicholas’s grave in terms of tourism and said that the number of tourists visiting the church in Demre will drastically increase when the bones are returned.
Antalya Museum Director Cumali Ayabakan told Anatolia that Christians visiting the church in Demre have complained about the absence of Santa Claus’s bones and said an empty grave means nothing to them. “If the bones can be brought to Turkey, they will be returned to the original grave,” he added.
28 December 2009, Monday
TODAY’S ZAMAN
A scholar from Akdeniz University has called for the return of the bones of St. Nicholas, better known as Santa Claus, from the Italian city of Bari, where his bones were taken after being stolen, to Antalya’s Demre district, where the saint died and was buried.
Speaking to the Anatolia news agency, Professor Nevzat Çevik, who leads archeological research in Demre, said St. Nicholas is a well-known Christian saint and that he has become very popular in Europe, adding that many churches have been built in Europe in his honor.
“The saint was born and spent his life in Anatolia,” Çevik said. Historical sources say St. Nicholas were born in Patara, a previous name of Antalya, and died in 343 in Demre. The saint’s bones were stolen by Italian craftsmen in 1087 and brought to Bari, where they were interred in a church dedicated to him.
Çevik reiterated St. Nicholas’s remarks in which he said, “I was born here, raised here and I will be buried here.” The professor added that “we should respect the wish of St. Nicholas. The bones should be brought back to his grave in Demre.”
Çevik has also urged state authorities to take steps to contact their Italian counterparts. “The ministries should work to move the bones back to Turkey.” The scholar also emphasized the significance of St. Nicholas’s grave in terms of tourism and said that the number of tourists visiting the church in Demre will drastically increase when the bones are returned.
Antalya Museum Director Cumali Ayabakan told Anatolia that Christians visiting the church in Demre have complained about the absence of Santa Claus’s bones and said an empty grave means nothing to them. “If the bones can be brought to Turkey, they will be returned to the original grave,” he added.
I pray the Italian government will refuse to send St Nicholas back to Turkey. He is in Bari Italy in the church that bears his name, and we all are free to go venerate St Nikolas there.
ReplyDeleteOrthodox services are celebrated and myrrhon is collected and given to the faithful. Do you think the Turks will allow this? I don't think so. Have you ever seen photos of his church in Myra? It is ruined, destroyed and defiled, with the icons scrapped off the walls; an eloquent example of the 'respect' the Turks have for Christianity and St Nicholas!!
I agree David. For them it is all about $$. Nothing more. Maybe they should reciprocate and return Constantinople to Greece. And all properties rightfully owned by Greeks returned to living descendants. What does everybody think? Great idea.
ReplyDeleteIf The return of Saint Nikolas, can be exchanged by Agia Sophia to Orthodox church that would be fair.
ReplyDeleteAs a Catholic I want to see Orthodox church in Constantinople in its basilica.
If for Turkish govermente the Idea is to get only a turistical atraction to allow muslims to profit from christian turist as in Jerusalen and Belen, I would not agree to return the bones to Turkey.
The italian governement is a false goal. Saint Nicholas's Church in Bari is property of the Vatican State since 1929 and I do not think the Vatican will give "back" the holy relics to Turkey, where Orthodox and Catholics do not have so much 'fun' to live as Christian believers.
ReplyDeleteMax Fabris, Trieste (Italy)
Many of the holy relics, including first class relics of our beloved Orthodox / Catholic Saints of God that were 'stolen' by Western Christians, Crusaders, etc., would have long ago been destroyed and defiled by the Mohammedans. God works in mysterious ways and the Crusaders knew the approaching Mohammedan infidels would have no respect for relics, holy sites and sacramentals. The Latin Church literally SAVED these things by moving them westward. Isn't it obvious that the Turkish government is seeing dollar signs in their eyes with an influx of tourism and masquerading this as 'veneration' for Saint Nicholas? (Thank you Cesaro Papism!)
ReplyDeleteWe can only guess how much God (or the devil) was at work in this plundering, but if one reads the actual accounts of the plundering by the Crusaders one would hardly think they treated Orthodox relics and holy sites with any sort of reverence.
ReplyDeleteThe relics should be venerated in a holy place not placed into a museum of tourism and money purposes like what they are doing to Hagia Sophia.
ReplyDelete