Known all over the world, Santa Claus is shown as a symbol of charity and humility in the Christian religion. The real name of Santa Claus, known as Santa Claus in the majority of European countries, is St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas is a religious man who lived in Anatolia.
He was born in the ancient city of Patara, which is close to Kaş district of Antalya. He lived in Demre, where his museum is located today. Demre district is one of the 6 big cities that was the settlement center of the Lycian civilization in the 5th century BC. The name of Santa Claus is used in different ways according to the countries. It is Father Christmas in England, Sinterkoas in the Netherlands, Santa Claus in the USA, Pere Noel in France, and Heilige Nikolaos in Germany.
The Life of St. Nicholas and the Legend of Santa Claus:
After Saint Nicholas was born in the ancient city of Patara, he settled in the ancient city of Myra, the capital of the Lycian civilization. There he was elevated to the office of bishop at a young age. St. Nicholas, who likes to share all his wealth with the poor, is a person who distributes gifts around the new year.
Saint Nicholas was born into a wealthy family that traded grain. There is not much information about the life of St. Nicholas. However, in the books about his life, there is information that he was a gift from God and that he created many miracles when he was a baby. It is thought that he was born as the savior of the poor as a response to his parents’ prayers and charity.
According to a rumor about St. Nicholas, three girls living in Patara and planning to get married could not get their dowry because they were poor. Hearing these girls, Saint Nicholas secretly wanted to leave a money bag inside his windows. But St. Nicholas, who saw that the windows were closed, threw the sack into the chimney. This is how the belief of Santa Claus leaving gifts and making dreams come true by entering through the chimney began in this way. According to the legends told about Santa Claus, it is said that he is a person who is the protector of the poor, children and sailors.
It is thought that St. Nicholas died on December 6, 343, at the age of 65. After his death, a church was built in Antalya’s Demre district to keep his memory alive. It was believed that he would remain immortal by placing his sarcophagus here.
Church of St. Nicholas
This church is among the most important works of the Byzantine period in terms of architecture. There are important mosaics, icons and wall paintings of St. Nicholas in the church. The Church is extremely important to the Christian World. But in many parts of the world there are more than 2,000 churches dedicated to Santa Claus.
The church was severely damaged by earthquakes, floods and invasions. But in 1042 Emperor IX. It was renovated by Constantine and his wife Zoe. In addition, it was repaired again by the Russian Tsar Nicholas I in 1862.
During the Crusades in 1087, some merchants who came to the country stole the bones of St. Nicholas and took them to the city of Bari, Italy. They saw inside a basilica they built there. Some bones that were left behind and thought to belong to St. Nicholas are under protection in the Antalya Museum. Santa Claus Church, located in Demre district, is in the form of a monumental museum.
