"We believe this shrine has not been damaged at all, but it is quite difficult to get to it as there are mosaics on the floor," Cemil Karabayram, the head of Antalya's Monument Authority, said.



Karabayram added that the in order to reach the remains thought to belong to St Nicholas, each tile has to be scaled and removed individually.



St Nicholas was born around the year 280 AD and was orphaned at a young age following an epidemic that swept through his homeland. Following this tragedy, he dedicated himself to helping those in need and became famed for his generosity.



Such was his reputation for giving that legends developed, describing St Nicholas sneaking into people's homes and leaving money for them.



When he died in 343 AD, he was buried at a church in the Turkish town of Demre. His bones, however, are thought to have been removed during the Crusades of the 11th century and relocated to Italy.