The Battle of Manzikert in 1071 had…
May 1087 CE
The Battle of Manzikert in 1071 had ended in humiliating defeat for Constantinople and the capture of its emperor.
As a result, the Empire temporarily lost control over most of Asia Minor to the invading Seljuq Turks.
Constantinople has begun to regain its control over Asia Minor during the reign of Alexios I Komnenos, but Myra was overtaken by the Turks early in his reign.
Saint Nicholas' tomb in Myra had become a popular place of pilgrimage.
Because of the many wars and attacks in the region, some Christians are concerned that access to the tomb might become difficult.
For both the religious and commercial advantages of a major pilgrimage site, the Italian cities of Venice and Bari vie to get the Nicholas relics.
Taking advantage of the confusion, in the spring of 1087, sailors from Bari in Apulia seize part of the remains of the saint from his burial church in Myra, over the objections of the Orthodox monks.
Returning to Bari, they bring the remains with them and care for them.
The remains arrive on May 9, 1087.
There are numerous variations of this account.
In some versions those taking the relics are characterized as thieves or pirates, in others they are said to have taken them in response to a vision wherein Saint Nicholas himself appeared and commanded that his relics be moved in order to preserve them from the impending Muslim conquest.
Currently at Bari, there are two churches at his shrine, one Roman Catholic and one Orthodox.