Vlad The Impaler Unearthed? Archaeologists May Have Found Dracula’s Dungeon

Vlad the Impaler or Vlad III, Prince of Walachia is also known as the fictional character Dracula, but he was a very real man. The haunted Prince has a reputation as of one of the most brutal killers of his time.

Now, a team of archaeologists in Turkey believe they have found the dungeon in which Vlad the Impaler — who inspired Bram Storker to write his famous novel Dracula — was held captive by his enemies.

Diggers said this week they have discovered a secret tunnel and two dungeons, as previously reported by the Inquisitr. The unearthing of the secret passages took place in Tokat Castle in northern Turkey, where it is believed Vlad was held prisoner in the mid-1400s.

The discovery of what archaeologists believe is where Vlad was held took place while a different part of the Castle was undergoing renovations, according to the Turkish publication Hurriyet Daily News. The tunnel leads to the Pervane Bath and a military shelter.

According to leader ?brahim Çetin, his team found food cubes and an open terrace, “as well as the military shelter and dungeons that were ‘built like a prison.'” The archaeologist says the Castle is completely surrounded by secret tunnels. “It’s very mysterious,” he adds.

Çetin is certain Dracula stayed in those dungeons, “It is hard to estimate in which room Dracula was kept, but he was around here.” he said.

Even though Vlad Tepes was not a vampire in real life, after Bram Stoker’s novel was published in 1897 his became forever identified as Dracula, the most famous vampire of all time. Even though his reign as Prince was marked by much brutality and death, Vlad had a good reputation among his people.

It is believed that the Imapler was taken prisoner by the Ottomans along with his brother Radu in 1442. He was later released after his father — Vlad II — and another brother were brutally murdered and he began “impaling” his enemies by putting their bodies on stakes and this is when his reign turned bloody.

Historians have speculated that these events may have turned Vlad into a bloodthirsty killer later on. Throughout his lifetime, he is said to have killed 80,000 people through different means, including 20,000 who were impaled. Vlad was beheaded during an ambush by the Ottomans, his head displayed by his enemies.

Coincidentally, Universal studios is preparing to release a new movie called Dracula Untold, starring Luke Evans in the leading role. The story is a romanticized look a how Vlad the Impaler became the feared Count Dracula.

[Image via Gildeneye/Deviantart]