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Posted on 12/20/2001 4:04:25 PM PST by a_Turk

Town Strives to Restore Church Named for 4th-Century 'Noel Baba'

DEMRE, Turkey For those who think Santa Claus is just a fantasy - brace yourselves.

If the legends of that jolly old elf are traced back far enough, many lead to this down-on-its-luck farming community on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, where in the 4th century a kindly bishop named Nicholas performed so many good deeds that he later was named a saint and eventually earned worldwide renown as Father Christmas, or Noel Baba, as his predominantly Muslim countrymen call him.

The North Pole it's not. In fact, to the Western eye, little about this town recalls the modern images of Santa Claus or Christmas. But tucked behind a grove of trees in a huge marshy ditch is the ruin of an ancient church that many historians say is the burial site of St. Nicholas -before Italian tomb raiders stole his bones a thousand years ago.

In a nod to popular Western culture, the site is marked by a large, black statue of a bearded, somber-looking but unmistakably benevolent St. Nicholas dressed in a long robe and hood, sack slung over his shoulder, four children at his feet.

"It's very important to us to have Father Christmas as our ancestor and fellow citizen," said Faruk Akbudak, deputy mayor of Demre, a town of 15,000 people about 145 kilometers (90 miles) southwest of the city of Antalya. "He connects us to the rest of the world, and more important, we think he is a symbol that can contribute to world peace."

Would any Christmas tale be complete without a Grinch? The exact identity of the one in Demre is a bit murky, but someone is holding up plans to repair the Church of St. Nicholas, which is in rapid decay, and under siege by the elements. Groundwater often covers the intricate mosaic and marble floors with more water up to mid-calf , and once-colorful frescoes are now barely visible.

Despite detailed plans to fix the problems and pledged donations to repair the church, parts of which date from the 4th or 6th century, the project is mired in bureaucratic squabbling.

"Restoration requires patience," said Erol Dogan, a top official at the Culture Ministry, explaining that the process mandates strict oversight and numerous approvals. "These jobs require time and money."

With a population that is 98 percent Muslim, Turkey has a slightly nuanced - which is to say, less commercial - image of Father Christmas than the one made famous by Clement Clarke Moore in his 1822 poem, "A Visit From St. Nicholas," or by the rosy-cheeked, rotund Santa popularized by Coca-Cola ads in the 1930s.

Here, St. Nicholas is revered as the patron saint of judges and prisoners, sailors and scholars, pawnbrokers and pirates, and particularly children and virgins. The nearby shops are void of Christmas kitsch.

"He's someone who loved children very much," said Seda Topukcu, 14, who said she and other local schoolchildren often visit St. Nick's dilapidated church, which town officials hope might eventually draw tourist dollars to the area.

Legend has it that characteristics such as love and generosity won Nicholas his sainthood. The best known story about him concerns three sisters who were going to sell themselves into slavery because their father could not afford dowries.

Learning of their plight, St. Nicholas threw bags of gold coins down their chimney, one of which landed in a stocking that was hung near the fire to dry. Thus began the tradition of hanging stockings on the mantel for presents.

While preserving the memory of such good deeds is important, archaeologists, architects and local officials said preserving the church is more urgent. Like the history of the man, the history of the structure is a little confused.

According to most accounts, St. Nicholas was born at the start of the 4th century in Patara, about 80 kilometers west of Demre, which at the time was known as Myra. He converted to Christianity, traveled to Palestine, was imprisoned for a while and eventually was named Bishop of Myra. He died in about 343.

Although some say he served in the Church of St. Nicholas, most experts say the church was built after his death and housed his sarcophagus, which today sits broken and empty in a side corridor. In 1087, Italian thieves raided the tomb and took the bones to Bari, a port on Italy's eastern coast, where they remain the prized possession of the St. Nicholas Basilica.

"I'm confused on this matter a little," admitted the Myra bishop, Hristomos Kalayci, the 67th successor of St. Nicholas.

"All the world - the Russians, Italians and others - claim to have his relics," he quipped. "If St. Nicholas came back to Earth, he would have a hard time finding all of his parts."

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