Andronikos III upon his accession to the throne. Early in her life, Anna became a nun and most of her life was one of seclusion in a convent. As a nun, Anna may have been the patron of a small monastery dedicated to Saint Euthymius the Great, possibly in Jerusalem. This might have been the same monastery in which she was a nun. Though there were close religious ties between Trebizond and Jerusalem in this period, Anna's association with this monastery is only supported by a single document of questionable authenticity. The meaning and etymology of Anna's second surname, , is not known, but it appears to be of Turkish origin. Perhaps the name derived in some way from her Georgian mother, Jiajak Jaqeli, as such naming patterns began to appear in Georgia at the beginning of the 13th century, influenced by the country falling under the suzerainty of the Mongol Empire. 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'. Anna's youngest brothers had similar seemingly Turkish additional surnames: Michael was called and George was called . The name Azachoutlou, sometimes also applied to Anna, was apparently also sometimes used for her maternal Georgian grandfather, Beka I Jaqeli. Rise to power Anna's brother Andronikos III died on 8 January 1332 and was succeeded by his underage son, Manuel II Megas Komnenos. Manuel II only reigned for eight months, being usurped by his uncle, and Anna's brother, Basil on 23 September 1332. After a childless marriage to Irene Palaiologina, an illegitimate daughter of the Byzantine emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos, Basil in July 1339 took a second wife, also named Irene, with whom he already had two illegitimate sons. On what grounds Basil could claim his marriage to Irene Palaiologina was invalid or if he ever succeeded in actually divorcing his first wife is not clear. He died in obscure circumstances not long thereafter, on 6 April 1340. It was widely suspected that Irene Palaiologina had played some role in Basil's death, especially given that she profited of it by seizing the Trapezuntine throne for herself immediately thereafter. To stabilize her hold on the government, Irene sent her most clear rivals, Basil's second wife and their two sons, to her father in Constantinople as hostages. This move alienated many among the Trapezuntine