Michael VIII Palaiologos (1259–1282) and Anaia/Kadıkalesi

A noteworthy centre of commerce and piety from the Early Byzantine period onwards, Anaia/Kadıkalesi preserved its importance under the Empire of Nicaea and the reign of Michael VIII Palaiologos (1259–1282). During these periods, Anaia was a significant site of trade and ceramics production, while its large-scale basilica-type church was deemed worthy of extensive restoration by the Laskarids. During the 1260s and 1270s, Michael VIII granted many privileges to the Genoese regarding Anaia, such as exemption from kommerkion and the permission to set up their own loggia and buildings. Both Genoese and Venetian documents provide ample evidence of Anaia’s busy traffic as a commercial centre, providing us with unique insights about the merchants’ activities and the political background of the region. These same documents also indicate the presence of piracy around Anaia, with which Michael VIII seems to have been involved. Moreover, female family members of this first Palaiologan emperor, such as his sister Maria/Martha, figure in documents pertaining to Anaia, suggesting some degree of interest or involvement with the area. In addition to Italian sources and Byzantine histories of the era, several seals and coins, as well as other material excavated in Anaia, also indicate a strong link between Michael VIII and Anaia. Considering both written sources and material evidence, this paper will seek to assess the relationship of Michael VIII to Anaia within the framework of his broader Western Anatolian policy.