And these hidden cells may have been where Vlad the Impaler – credited as being the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula – was held hostage during the 15th century.Alongside 'Dracula's dungeon', builders also discovered a secret tunnel leading to a military shelter beyond the ruined citadel, and an open terrace.The discoveries were made during restoration works on the site, located in the northern Turkish town of Tokat.'The castle is completely surrounded by secret tunnels. It is very mysterious,' archaeologist İbrahim Çetin told Hurriyet Daily News.Towards the end of the 12th century, the town was conquered by the Seljuk Turks and became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1392.Vlad the Impaler, officially known as Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia, was born in 1431 to Vlad II Dracul.Vlad II was granted the surname Dracul, which means dragon, when he became a member of the Christian military Order of the Dragon.During a diplomatic meeting in 1442 with Sultan Murad II, Vlad II’s sons Vlad and Radu were taken hostage.It is during this time that the brothers were believed to have been held captive at Tokat Castle.They were freed following the death of their father and older brother Mircea in 1447.In 1462, Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia is believed to have impaled the bodies of 20,000 people outside the Romanian city of Targoviste, to ward off Ottoman forces.This led to him receiving the nickname Vlad the Impaler, posthumously.Vlad the Impaler was arrested for the murders, and held in prison for 12 years, although the exact location and length of this captivity is disputed.(dailymail.co.uk)Bakudaily.Az