Prison Anemas

The building was located in the Blachernae area between the wall erected in the middle of the 12th century by Emperor Manuel I Komnin and the walls erected by emperors Heraclius I and Leo V. A small section of the wall connects the prison with the wall of Manuel Komnin. ^[1] The height of the outer wall was more than 23 meters, and its thickness was 11-20 meters. The correctional institution itself consisted of twelve three-story cells. Outside, it had two rectangular towers connected by a common wall. The towers support massive pylons standing 8 meters above the ground. ^[2]

Despite the geographical proximity, the two towers are very different in their construction, which is especially noticeable in the parapet , thereby indicating that they were built at different times. ^{[3] The} south tower is an irregular quadrangular two-story building. Its masonry is uneven, several stone pillars were often inserted not fully. ^[4] The tower was used as living space, as indicated by the spacious upper floor, large windows and a balcony on the west side. These data allow us to identify the structure as the tower of Isaac Angel. According to the Byzantine historian Nikita Honiato, the tower was built by Emperor Isaac II Angel as a fortress and mansion, and building materials from the destroyed churches were used for the construction. ^{[5] The} North Tower, which is defined as the Anemas Tower, is a carefully constructed structure, the pillar of which has become large carefully installed blocks. ^{[3] The} strength of the wall and buttresses can be explained by the fact that this structure was part of the western retaining wall on the hill, where the Blachernae Palace was later built. ^[6]

The main structure consists of thirteen transverse support walls through which three superimposed brick arches pass, creating twelve compartments 9-13 meters wide each. Two longitudinal walls are not parallel and move apart when moving north. ^{[7] The} eastern wall has two superimposed corridors on the upper two levels, which are built into the body of the wall and illuminated by loopholes in the facades of the wall. There are no windows in the compartments on the basement level, but light enters there through the small openings of the upper levels in the western wall. ^[8] Towers A spiral staircase connects the main structures with two towers. ^[9]

After the construction, the prison changed in separate time periods, as evidenced by the inconsistency in the location of the windows and other examples of successive changes in the architectural appearance.

The first appeared the eastern wall, which was a simple defensive wall with galleries and embrasures for shooters. ^[10] The remainder was added later to strengthen the palace hill. The role of the compartments is still unclear; it is possible that they functioned as storage rooms or as barracks (two upper levels). ^[eleven]

The towers were added at the last moment, while the south tower appeared earlier than the north one. ^[12] However, there is a problem of their identification, especially the towers of Isaac Angel and Aneman (the latter existed in the first years of the XII century, 70 years before the construction of the first of these towers). ^{[13] [14] [15]}

According to the book of Anna Komnina, “ Aleksiada, ” the first prisoner was the commander Mikhail Anemas. ^[16] He plotted against Anna's father, Emperor Alexei I Komnin, but the plan was revealed and the rebel with several associates had to be blinded and sent to prison. However, requests from Anna and her mother for mercy were heard, the prisoners were kept sight and given freedom after several years in prison. ^[17] The next prisoner appeared in the correctional facility even before the release of Anemas. He was the duka of the theme of Chaldius Grigory Taronit . Since this region was isolated from land by the lands of the Koni Sultanate from the Byzantine Empire , in 1104 he tried to become an independent ruler. ^[18] Due to his defiant behavior, his arrest lasted a long time. However, in the end, he was pardoned and released. ^[nineteen]

The next famous prisoner was Andronik I Komnin, who appeared there before his execution at the capital's hippodrome on September 12, 1185. ^[20] Hartofilax Hagia Sophia and the future Patriarch of Constantinople John XI Vekk came here because of his unwillingness to condone the idea of ​​Emperor Michael VIII about the union between the Catholic and Orthodox churches. ^[21] In 1322, the great duke Sirgian Palaeologus , who actively participated in the war between Emperor Andronicus II and his son Andronicus III, became a prisoner of Anemas. ^[22]

The prison was also used during the Paleolog dynasty in the 1370s. Emperor John V Paleologue (pr. 1341–1376, 1379–1391) sent his eldest son Andronicus IV there because of a riot against his power. But the prisoner was able to escape with the help of the Genoese and Ottomans, and took the throne for 3 years (from 1376 to 1379). At this time, John, together with his sons Manuel and Theodore, were prisoners of Anemas ^[23] .