I Bet You Did Not Know | Turkish Lodges

I bet you did not know that, Turkey is the only Islamic State where a Regular Grand Lodge exists....and that August Comte, tried through Masonic links to bring about a break between Ottoman society and its Islamic religion. Ottoman Muslims were admitted into these lodges in the 1860s and many intellectuals and public figures embraced Masonry with enthusiasm. The lodges they favored followed the French Grand Orient, which, unlike its British counterparts, jettisoned the references to a Supreme Being, and the Immortality of the Soul, the deistic principle of earlier Masonry. It also embraced the slogan of the French Revolution of Equality, Liberty and Fraternity (Positivism, with its claim of being a religion of science, deeply impressed the Young Turks which added Justice and who believed it could be more easily reconciled with Islam than could popular materialistic theories. The name of the society, Union and Progress, is believed to be inspired by Auguste Comte's motto Order and Progress.). In effect, those lodges favored secular positivism and rationality, which was part of its attraction to Ottoman liberals. Membership included Greeks, Armenians and Jews, as well as European residents. Turkish was introduced as one of the languages of proceeding in some lodges. Many Ottoman intellectuals combined Masonry and positivism with heterodox Muslim mysticism, notably Bektashism, a historic Turkish Sufi order, outlawed in the 1820s and organized in secret societies. Positivism also served as a base for the desired strong government. 


Mavi Boncuk | 


The Modern Ritual used in the Grand Lodge of Scotland has been translated into Turkish and used without any changes in the Lodges of Turkey, with the exception of having been translated into many languages.


Since the beginning of May 1965, 149 Lodges have been Regularly established by Consecration and Charter, and have labored regularly without interruption, since that time.


Out of these 149 Lodges. 73 are active in Istanbul at the Main Temple. Among them one is a Research Lodge and one is an Education Lodge. 
6 Lodges on the Asiatic side working at Yakacik Temple 
3 Lodges in Bursa 
37 Lodges active in Ankara at the main Temple 
1 Lodge in Antalya 
1 Lodge in Eskisehir 
2 Lodges in Adana 
23 Lodges in Izmir at the main Temple 
1 on the north shore at Karsiyaka 
1 Lodge in Bodrum 
1 Lodge in Marmaris, Marmaris Lodge No. 134 working at her own Temple.


Several Lodges in Turkey are working in foreign languages.
In Istanbul
Freedom Lodge No. 35 works in English 
Hulus Lodge No. 34 and Hakikat Lodge No. 18 work in Greek 
Libertas Lodge No.17 works in German 
Atlas Lodge No. 9 and Humanitas Lodge No. 33 work in French 
In Ankara
Dikmen Lodge No. 22 works in English 
Baris Lodge No. 21 works in French 
In Izmir
Ephesus Lodge No. 42 works in English 
There are 10,615 Regular Freemasons in Turkey are at the moment. All in good standing and much attached to Regular Masonic philosophy, ethics and teachings. The Grand Lodge of Turkey Free and Accepted Masons, publishes two revues Mimar Sinan and Tesviye bimonthly.


Contact:  Grand Lodge at Masonic Hall, Nuru Ziya Sok..Nr. 25 -, Beyoglu, Istanbul, 80500 when visiting Turkey.
Tel: (0)212-2492451 Fax: (0)212-2494753. The Grand Lodge of Turkey can be found on the Internet at www.mason.org.tr