Archaeologists believe they’ve found the haunts of Vlad the Impaler — the real-life figure who served as the inspiration behind the titular character of Bram Stoker’s vampire tale published in 1897.
The archaeologists have discovered the Dracula’s dungeon in a Turkish Castle. Vlad Tepes was a real person and played an important role in history. The Wallachian prince is a local hero for having kept invading forces at bay but is also detested for the notorious reputation he had developed for torturing his foes.The Guardian Liberty Voice stated an incident where the ruler once ate dinner amid a pile of impaled corpses in a forest.
The researchers uncovered a secret tunnel and two dungeons in the Tokat Castle where he is believed to have been imprisoned during the mid-1400s. Ibrahim Çetin, an archaeologist who is part of the restoration efforts informed the Daily News that the tunnel is one of the many discovered at the site, including one believed to have been used to reach nearby Roman baths.”It is hard to estimate in which room Dracula was kept,” he said, “but he was around here.”The discovery has been made after 10-week restoration of different parts of the castle located in Northern Turkey.
Vlad, formally known as Vlad III and Vlad the Impaler, is believed to have been taken hostage in the castle by the Ottomans along with his younger brother, Radu, in the year 1442. The ruler reportedly inherited the patronymic title of ‘Dracul’ or ‘dragon’ from his father, Vlad II, who belonged to the Order of the Dragon, a group which fought against the Ottoman Empire in Eastern Europe.
The Wallachain prince was referred to as Vlad the Impaler because that was his preferred modus operandi of terror.
According to the Washington Post, Vlad had been in captivity during the reign of the Turks and harbored a growing hatred against them. He was released after both his father and another brother were murdered, at which point he started the brutal practice of impaling his enemies on poles.
After he was released he assumed the throne briefly in 1448, then again from 1456 to 1462. He unleashed his fury against the Ottomans and local enemies in brutal fashion.Stoker is said to have read a book containing accounts of Vlad’s sadistic habits, on which he fashioned his famously bloodthirsty vampire, Dracula, in 1897.
The new discovery of the dungeons provides a glimpse into the past and a focus on Vlad III just as a new movie about him is ready for release. Dracula Untold opens in theaters on Friday, October 10 portrays Vlad III as a fierce protector of the land against an invading force.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 6th, 2014.
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