Bari has not always been a quiet and peaceful town. In the Middle Ages, wars often raged in this region. The city is conveniently located on the seashore, which means that there have always been enough people willing to capture it. The fishing port of Bari had to defend its freedom with weapons in its hands, and therefore all the men there were not only fishermen, but also brave warriors.
The Bariyans were deeply religious people and reverently revered the patron saint of sailors, Nicholas the Wonderworker. Of course, they wanted his holy relics to be in Bari and protect the city from adversity. However, the body of St. Nicholas rested in the Lycian Worlds, near the church where the bishop served during his lifetime. And the Barians decided on a desperate adventure.
In 1087, a large merchant ship sailed from the port of Bari. The Barian merchants went to trade with other countries. However, this flight was different from the others — in addition to the goods, there were many weapons in the holds. Moored in the Lycian Worlds, the sailors set off to explore the city, which was overrun with people. It was on this day that the Turks were burying their commander, which was why it was so crowded. The Barians realized that in such conditions their plan was doomed to failure, and went on to Antioch.
Soon they returned to the Lycian Worlds again, and this time they were lucky. The city was empty, only a few monks were in the church where the relics of St. Nicholas were kept. But they were safely hidden.
It is difficult for us now to imagine the customs of that time, but the story speaks for itself. The Bariyans who arrived seized the monks and began to interrogate them with passion. One of the monks pointed out the spot on the floor under which the saint's tomb rested.
The sailors quickly broke up the floor and found an empty space, from where a subtle fragrance of myrrh emanated. The Barians were in a hurry, they had to hurry before the townspeople stopped them. And one of them, the sailor Matthew, jumped inside and began to serve his friends the holy remains. However, he jumped carelessly and damaged several bones of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The kidnappers hastily put the relics in a wooden box, took the icon of the saint with them and ran to their ship.
The commotion had already been noticed by the townspeople and they began to run towards the port. The force was on the side of the kidnappers, and the locals could only cry bitterly and raise their hands to the sky. Their grief was so sincere that the Barians had mercy and returned the miraculous icon of St. Nicholas to the inhabitants of Myra in Lycia. They returned to Bari as heroes.
The residents solemnly greeted the relics of the wonderworker and placed them in the cathedral.

According to the materials pravoslavie.ru