Poverty and unhappiness upset him, so he used his newfound wealth to combat it. He dropped bags of gold coins down chimneys, gave nuts and fruit to good children, and often helped to look after the sick and elderly.
Upon his death, his sarcophagus was placed in his church but unfortunately, his fame was spreading worldwide. He was named a Saint and Italian sailors stole his bones to take to Italy with them. Over hundreds of years, his image also changed. Adapted by the commercial world to help sell Christmas, the red suit Santa that we see now is nothing like the original Santa Claus.
However, the small town near the coastline, that he used to be mayor of, has remarkably stayed close to its traditional roots despite being visited by hundreds of people every day, eager to see the church of Saint Nicholas. Dating from the Byzantine era, the church is simplistic and still holds his original sarcophagus of which queues of orthodox Christians patiently wait in line to see.
You can read more about Saint Nicholas here or contact us to help arrange a visit to this iconic destination.
Natalie Sayin is blog author for the Turkey Travel Team. Based in Turkey, she has made it her life's ambition to travel to every town, city and village in the country. When not writing, she can often be found in museums, wandering around historical sites or conversing with locals in a disastrous attempt to learn the language. Follow her on Twitter or Google Plus.
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