Water handicaps restoration work on ‘Dracula’ castle

TOKAT - Anadolu Agency

Water coming out of a hidden tunnel has caused difficulty in the progress of the restoration work on Tokat Castle, also known as the “dungeon of Dracula.”

The hidden tunnel, named “Ceylan Yolu,” was discovered during the restoration work, which started in 2009, on Tokat Castle in the northern Anatolian province of Tokat.

The tunnel is claimed to be the place where Wallachian Prince Vlad III “The Impaler,” also known as Dracula, who lived between 1431 and 1476, was held captive.

The provincial Culture and Tourism Director Adem Çakır said Tokat Castle was built in the city center in the Byzantine era and served as a prison for 300 years.

“Ceylan Yolu is a tunnel with stairways. There are similar tunnels in most castles like this. We cannot decide if this place is a hidden tunnel or not because there are [housing] developments on the skirts of the castle. There is a serious rise in the ground level because the waters of Behzat Lake and Yeşilırmak River are rising,” said Çakır.

Çakır said they have reached 150 meters in excavations in Ceylan Yolu.

“We think we have reached the foundation of the houses on the skirts of the castle. The biggest problem is that there is water in the tunnel. It is a big problem to remove both earth and water. It is not possible to draw water out with a water engine. The work has serious costs. We may stop excavations at the end of the season because we cannot continue the other work on the castle before finishing the excavations in the tunnel,” he said.

He also added that a film will be shot in the castle in September.