15-year restoration deadlock continues at Dracula’s dungeon in Tokat

TOKYO

After 15 years of stalled restoration efforts at Tokat Castle, believed to have once housed the notorious Dracula in its dungeons, the landmark still awaits completion of restoration works.

“The castle where Vlad Dracula was held captive is in [the Central Anatolian province of] Tokat,” history researcher Aybike Gazioglü said.

Gazioğlu underscored the significance of the castle as the purported prison of Vlad Dracul, Wallachia’s infamous ruler, emphasizing its history.

“[Vlad the Impaler] grew up in the same palace as Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror. He was kept in these dungeons as a result of his betrayal,” she explained.

“When Sultan Mehmet II brought Vlad the Impaler here at that time, he did not take him directly through the city. There are passages under these dungeons,” Gazioğlu said.

“It is said that he traveled around the city using the caves and passages here.”

Drawing attention to how Dracula’s legend came about, Gazioğlu said, “This man inspired vampire movies, stories and novels. The reason for this inspiration is that he impaled the Turkish ancestors at that time and drank their blood,” she stated, hence earning the title, “Vlad the Impaler.”

“As a result, Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror decapitated his head and paraded it across Istanbul.”

However, despite its historical allure, Tokat Castle’s closure to visitors has persisted.

Restoration of the castle which is steeped in legend and history was initiated in 2009 and closed to visitors.

Urging authorities to prioritize restoration, Gazioğlu stresses the castle’s role in preserving Turkish heritage and history calling for its reopening with a statue of Dracula’s head in Mehmet II’s hand.

“We are urging for the restoration to start and finish as soon as possible,” she said.

“From here I appeal to the authorities in charge in this field. This is our history, and we want our history to be kept alive,” she underlined.

Gazioğlu also advocated for the swift restoration to enhance the castle’s international significance.