Turkey Wants Saint Nicholas’ Bones Returned

A Turkish professor has asked the Vatican to return the bones of Saint Nicholas to his native land.

Archaeology Professor Nevzat Cevik from Akdeniz University says the bones were taken by force from Turkey  in 1087 and buried in a church in the Bari province of Italy.

Cevik believes Saint Nicholas would have wanted his final resting place to be next to his namesake church in southwest Turkey.   Nicholas lived in the ancient town of Myra, which today is called Demre. The Saint Nicholas Church was built there in the 4th century A.D., and is now a museum.

Cevik told the Hurryiet Daily News, "This has nothing to do with tourism. Returning his bones to his grave in Demre is a human wish."

Saint Nicholas was known for secretly giving gifts, such as placing coins in the shoes of people who left them out for him, and thus became a model for Santa Claus.