Anna Komnene
Daughter of David II of Trabzon
About Anna Komnene
Born 1447.
Anna Megale Komnene (Modern Greek: Άννα Μεγάλη Κομνηνή, transliterated: Anna Megalē Komnēnē, known also as Anna Hatun, ; 1447 - after 1463) was a Trapezuntine princess and daughter of the last Emperor of Trebizond, David II and his wife Helena Kantakouzene.
She entered Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror’s harem as one of his “noble guests” and was later married off to his vizier, Zağanos Pasha; according to one account, she eventually divorced him and married Elvanbeyzade Sinan Bey It is improbable that the union was ever consummated: for several generations already, the Ottoman dynasty no longer fathered children with foreign noblewomen, to avoid external interference in the succession.
In 1463, Mehmed executed David, three of his sons and his nephew Alexius (son of Alexander of Trebizond and Maria Gattilusio, who later became a consort of Mehmed II) on charges of communicating with the Sultan's enemies Uzun Hasan and his wife Despina Khatun (David's niece as daughter of John IV of Trabzon). Later, Gevherhan Hatun (Mehmed II's daughter) married Ughurlu Muhammad (Uzun Hasan's son). Their son, Ahmad Beg, married Aynişah Sultan (Bayezid II's daughter and Mehmed II's granddaughter) and they had two daughters and a son.
Anna was suspected of having facilitated the exchange of letters, but in the end she suffered no consequences.
In the same year, however, Mehmed married her to his vizier, Zagan Pasha, who had previously been married to his sister Fatma Hatun.
Anna's fate is not certain. According to some sources, Anna was killed by her husband because she did not want to convert, while according to others, she remarried Elvanbeyzade Sinan Bey after becoming widowed or divorced.
Her date of death is unknown, along with her place of burial.
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
Frequently asked questions
Who was Anna Komnene?
daughter of David II of Trabzon
When was Anna Komnene born?
Anna Komnene was born in 1447 in Trabzon.
When did Anna Komnene die?
Anna Komnene died in Constantinople.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Anna Komnene (daughter of David of Trebizond)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Anna Komnene. https://biography.guide/anna-komnene/
MLA: "Anna Komnene." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/anna-komnene/.
Chicago: "Anna Komnene." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/anna-komnene/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:13 UTC