A team of archaeologists in Turkey believe that they may have discovered the tomb of Santa Claus in the city of Demre. With this discovery, they may be close to changing conventional thought in terms of where the remains of one of Christianity's saints are located. Meanwhile, the top-level of the ancient Roman Colosseum will finally be opened up to the public for the first time. This comes after decades of that area being closed due to restoration work being done on the ancient stadium.

How the tomb was found

Archaeologists accidentally discovered an undamaged site containing a tomb that they believe belongs to Saint Nicholas of Myra (270-343), who is the historical inspiration for Santa Claus.

The tomb was found at St. Nicholas Church, which is located in the country's southern Antalya province in the modern-day city of Demre.

Saint Nicholas himself was born in the nearby city of Patara. He spent most of his life in Myra (now Demre), where he was buried. The head of the province's Monument Authority told the Daily Sabah that the tomb was found when electronic surveys showed gaps beneath the church.

However, the tomb will be difficult to access due to mosaics on the floor of the church above it. Each tile will have to be loosened from the mosaics so that they can be removed together in a mold. Most believe that Saint Nicholas' remains were taken during the crusades to Bari, Italy in the 11th century.

They have since laid in the Basilica di San Nicola. It is now thought by the Turks that the wrong bones were removed and taken abroad.

A first for visitors to the Roman Colosseum

Yesterday, the officials who run the Roman Colosseum showed off the newly restored fourth and fifth levels of the historic stadium during a media tour.

This marks the first time in forty years that these levels of the famous landmark have been accessed by non-workers.

The Italian Culture Minister, Dario Francheschini, was also on hand to visit the new levels. They will be opened to tourists for guided tours starting on November 1st, along with a connected hallway that has never been opened to the public.

The Colosseum, one of the most famous architectural works of the Romans, was opened in 80 A.D. The new levels opened were the furthest away from the action and were reserved for the plebeians. Today, however, they will offer visitors spectacular and amazing views of the entire stadium and surrounding cities.