Ancient city similar to 'Helm's Deep' discovered in Iraq

• Archaeologists discover ancient fortress in Iraqi Kurdistan's mountainous valley.
• Archaeologists believe it could be lost city of Natounia.
• Study of 2,000-year-old stronghold suggests it was regional centres for Parthians.

Archaeologists have discovered an ancient fortress in Iraqi Kurdistan's mountainous valley that they believe could be the lost city of Natounia, reported Live Science.

An intricately carved rock showing an ancient ladder is what makes experts hint towards the ancient royal city.

The fortress is named Rabana-Merquly. It belonged to the Parthian Empire which was a bitter enemy of the Romans. A study of the 2,000-year-old stronghold suggests that it was one of the regional centres for the Parthians.

The lead researcher of the study, Michael Brown, said that based on the garb of the figure seen on rocks, experts think that the newly discovered fortress was built by rulers in Adiabene.

Before this discovery, Natounia's existence was found only on some coins dating back to the first century BC.

"Rabana-Merquly is by far the largest and most impressive site of the Parthian era in the region," Brown said. 

He added: "If you're familiar with Lord of the Rings, it's basically a real-life Helm's Deep."

He said that the fortress played a significant role in managing trade and diplomatic relations.