Dungeons of Anemas
The Anemas Dungeons, part of the Blakhernai Palace, one of the largest palaces of the Byzantine period, was built adjacent to the old city walls close to the Golden Horn and consists of 14 cell rooms and a two-story basement beneath these rooms.
Anemas Dungeons were built on the side of the city walls close to the Golden Horn. It is located below the Golden Horn Bridge, diagonally across the Ya Vedüd Mosque. On the west side, the dungeons can be seen from the driveway, while on the east side, due to the elevation difference, they are below the Kazasker Ivaz Efendi Mosque, which was built before the dungeons were discovered. For the best view of the dungeons, it is necessary to leave Edirnekapı and go parallel to the city walls towards the Golden Horn. There is a green area between the road running parallel to the city walls and the dungeon facade.
With its underground tunnels, labyrinthine cisterns and extremely narrow torture chambers, the dungeons are the only remaining underground dungeons from the Roman period in Istanbul.
Emperor Isaacos II had a building built next to the Blakhernai Palace to be both a residence and a tower. The Angelos Tower best fits this description. It may also have been used as a prison for high-ranking people. Due to its construction technique, the Angelos tower is thought to date from the 11th and 12th centuries, while the Anemas tower belongs to a later period.
