The modern day statue
is in the garden of The Church of Saint Nicholas in Myra, Turkey.
The church is the real thing, from the 5th century. Original wall paintings
of St. Nicholas and other saints adorn the rock walls, and St.
Nicholas's sarcophagus lies inside the church. His bones do not,
however, stolen by Italian merchants in the 11th century. Some
bones are currently preserved in the Antalya museum.
SAINT NICK IN STONE
The
beard, the sack
of toys, and the children are there, but the real Santa wore a robe.
Back to the Santa Claus Trail