Anna Anachoutlou ruled the Empire of Trebizond from 1341 to 1342.
14 Facts About Anna Anachoutlou
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Anna Anachoutlou, born in the late 13th century, was the eldest daughter of Alexios II Megas Komnenos, who ruled the Empire of Trebizond from 1297 to 1330.
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Anna Anachoutlou had four older brothers; Andronikos III, Basil, Michael and George, and one younger sister, Eudokia.
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Early in her life, Anna Anachoutlou became a nun and most of her life was one of seclusion in a convent.
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Alternatively, it is possible that Anachoutlou was a nickname and a combination of Anna's name and the Turkish word, in which case it would mean 'blessed Anna'.
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The name Azachoutlou, sometimes applied to Anna Anachoutlou, was apparently sometimes used for her maternal Georgian grandfather, Beka I Jaqeli.
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Anna Anachoutlou was preferred as empress by the ethnic minorities of the empire, such as the Laz and Zan peoples, as well as most of the provincial population, given that she belonged to the Grand Komnenos dynasty, rather than the foreign Palaiologos family.
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Anna Anachoutlou was of the Grand Komnenos dynasty, but she was not only a woman, but a former nun who had left her convent under questionable circumstances.
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Anna Anachoutlou's brothers were dead but there were living male members of her family, most prominently Alexios II's brother Michael and Michael's son John, though both resided far away in Constantinople.
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Rustam Shukurov speculated in 1995 that Anna Anachoutlou may have attempted to reinforce her legitimacy by noting that her name formed the end of an inverse AIMA-sequence and that she was thus destined to rule.
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Shortly before Anna Anachoutlou arrived at the capital, Irene's popularity and support had plummeted due to losses during raids by the neighbouring Aq Qoyunlu.
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Doubtful of whether they had the support of the people, the Laz worked to ensure Anna Anachoutlou's continued rule through treachery.
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Shortly after this victory, Anna Anachoutlou dealt with both Michael and Irene.
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Anna Anachoutlou was not opposed only by the, but internationally by the Palaiologoi of the Byzantine Empire, disappointed with Irene's deposition, as well as the republics of Venice and Genoa.