This is the empty sarcophagus at the Church of Saint Nicholas in Demre, Turkey, long thought to be the burial place of St. Nicholas. They have the tomb but not the body. A minor problem. For centuries no one has known what happened to the body. A Cathedral in France claims they have it, but no one can say how it got there. You can never trust the French

Recently Archaeologists think they have solved the mystery and have found the final resting place of Santa Claus—and no, it is not the North Pole, which is rather disappointing. Nor is it the empty tomb, but it is somewhere handy. Archaeologists now believe it may be just underneath the floorboards, or in this case the tiles, of the church.

And today we have driven from the Port of Kas to take a look for ourselves.

As unlikely as it may seem, the real life Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, was a bishop in a Turkish town on the Mediterranean coast in the 4th century. He was known for his generosity and his kindness to children. Soon stories of miracles that he performed for the poor and unhappy started spreading. He was reputed to have given marriage dowries of gold to three girls whom poverty would otherwise have forced into lives of prostitution and to have restored to life three children who had been chopped up by a butcher and put in a tub of brine. Now that’s a miracle! And if that doesn’t give him the right to become the legend now known as Father Christmas, nothing does.

The church to honor Saint Nicholas and contain his tomb was built in the 6th century on the foundations of the older Christian church where he served as Bishop. Outside the Church we see St Nick for the first time

Inside, it is a very striking building indeed and beautifully restored

One arcade contains many well preserved frescos

The Frescos depict the life of St Nicholas

St Nicholas still remains an important religious figure for the Turkish and Greek Christians, plus Russians because it was Tsar Nicholas I who paid for the restoration, and this church has become a major pilgrimage site. There is a huge line of people waiting to view the monument effigy of St Nicholas. When they reach the glass that protects it, they reach out to touch the glass and stand there for some time with their silent prayers

The line waits patiently giving those deep in prayer all the the time they need. No one is expected to hurry. Some hold small depictions of St Nicholas. Some are dressed very casually, others wear a special costume. But all of them seem transported by the experience.

Meanwhile at the sarcophagus two women are standing looking at it for some time. They look at each other and a silent message passes between them. They start to sing (please click on the following link to see a thirty second clip)

https://youtube.com/shorts/n1M328Xz0TU?feature=share

We have no idea what this strangely haunting song is, but it is impossible not to be moved by it.

It is a fitting finale to our visit.

The Church was part of the ancient city of Myra, a political and cultural center of the ancient world that is thought to have rivaled Ephesus in importance. But today most of it is still buried underground. Over a mile from the Church the magnificent Roman theatre, carved out of the local hillside, is still very much above ground,

A few incredible carvings, seemingly untouched by the centuries, are just lying around

To the right of this amphitheatre there are a number of tombs carved out of, and cut into the rock, and sculptured to imitate grand wooden houses. Amazingly they were made five centuries BC.

Strangely enough this spectacular site was almost deserted when we visited, and yet the Church attracts over half a million visitors a year.

To visit Ephesus most people arrive at the port of Kusadasi, which has become a huge and thriving city based almost entirely on tourism

To visit the Church of St Nicolas and the ruins of Myra, we have to drive to Demre, a sad and neglected little town that appears to be struggling to survive. It relies on agriculture rather than tourism to survive, as witnessed by the incredible miles of greenhouses that surrounds the town.

We make our way back to Kas along an impressive but almost deserted highway, passing through a mountainous area covered in pine and fir trees. We go for miles without seeing any sign of habitation. We feel quite safe cruising along at 70 miles an hour. Suddenly we round a corner and have to stand on our brakes

We screech to a halt just yards from the herd. We sit in the car, waiting, and remembering the day. We loved St Nick and the Church and we were amazed at the cliffside tombs. But one thing stood out more than anything, and that, dear readers, is the subject of the return of the PASSENGER OF THE WEEK!

I know many you have missed this feature, but the problems with today’s social media made me stop. However 280 Australians have persuaded me to bring it back. And today I offer you two for the price of one.

The ship also offered a tour to the Church of St Nicholas. They reminded everyone that women should cover their heads with a scarf and that their knees should be covered before entering the Church. Australians as we all know are descendants of criminals and so of course they don’t follow the rules, even simple ones like this.

These two beauties sat on a wall outside preening and primping for hours, taking endless selfies. So I am sure they won’t mind you taking a look at my two photos

Perfect church going attire.

I gather the hair is suppossed to distract our eyes from the bathrobe which doesn’t quite reach her knees