participez à une soirée exceptıonnelle à Versailles

LE LİONS CLUB İNTERNATİONAL DE ST GERMAİN EN LAYE "CHATEAU" 

VA FÊTER SES 5 ANS.

A cette occasion une soirée exceptionnelle est organisée le  9 octobre 2015 au Domaine de Madame Elisabeth, soeur de sa Majesté Louis XVI. Chers Manants et Manantes c'est un cadre unique que vous n'aurez que rarement l'occasion de visiter, aussi venez participer à cette soirée et soutenir l'oeuvre et l'engagement au service des autres de tous les Lions du Club et, peut-être découvrir le Lionisme.

Vous serez détroussés de la modique somme de 75€ mais  nous vous promettons une très très belle soirée.

En savoir plus ? consulter le programme ?

Madame Elisabeth vit avec son temps ! elle a crée un groupe sur Facebook: 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1456107731358979/



Photo de Pierre ENGELHART

Freemasonry in the Ottoman Empire

William Armstrong - william.armstrong@hdn.com.tr

  

‘Freemasonry in the Ottoman Empire: A History of the Fraternity and its Influence in Syria and the Levant’ by Dorothe Sommer (IB Tauris, 317 pages, £62)

The June 2015 edition of popular history magazine “Derin Tarih” (Deep History) claimed to expose the “hidden history” of how Freemasonry played a key role in bringing down the Ottoman Empire. The magazine is published by the same company that owns pro-Justice and Development Party (AKP) newspaper Yeni Şafak, and it is always full of similarly bombastic stories, revealing “historical documents” of dubious veracity. Freemasons may not be the AKP’s number one enemy, but residual paranoia about Freemasonry still lingers on at the fringes of Turkish politics. (Back in the 1970s, current President Erdoğan wrote and performed in a theater play titled “Mas-Kom-Ya,” or Mason-Communist-Jew.)

This book by historian Dorothe Sommers looks at the development of Freemasonry in Ottoman territory through the 19th and early 20th century. Sommers particularly focuses on masonic lodges in Syria, but she also refers to their general situation around the empire. To some extent this is virgin territory, little researched up to now, and the book can only really scratch the surface. But there is still plenty to learn from it. 

A secretive brotherhood largely made up of cosmopolitan elites emphasizing the “welfare of mankind” and partaking in arcane semi-religious rituals - it shouldn’t be surprising that so many conspiracy theories arose about global Freemasonry. There was another layer of intrigue in the Ottoman Empire, as Freemasonry was a European phenomenon that spread east with explicitly colonial structures through the 19th century. But masonic lodges in Ottoman territory quickly “went native” and adapted to local conditions. As elsewhere, the cadres who later filled the ranks of lodges in the Ottoman Empire generally belonged to the cosmopolitan middle and upper classes, often the vanguards of modernization in the eastern Mediterranean world. Lodges became a kind of guild system or social club for the local elites, who cultivated ideas of brotherhood, equality, toleration and reason, as well as less high-minded patronage networks of business and trade.

What makes Ottoman Freemasonry particularly intriguing is that it was an explicitly non-sectarian institution at a time when religious and national affiliations were becoming increasingly politicized. Ottoman Freemasons attempted to achieve what politics and religion were not able to manage: Uniting otherwise disparate minds, producing interreligious sociability, promoting social and moral emancipation. Through a non-religious community of men they sought to override political or religious cleavages, establishing a common denominator for communication and cooperation. The Bible was as welcome as the Quran. In the words of WS Nelson, a non-mason and former missionary in Syria at the end of the 19th century: “[Freemasonry] supplied to Syria a unifying principle, an organization in which all creeds and sects, Christian and Mohammedan alike, can find common ground and meet together as men and brothers whatever their religious differences.” 

While many native Muslims were members of masonic lodges, many others were suspicious of an elite club with European origins preaching “civilization and fraternity.” Indeed, Freemasonry earned the opprobrium of religious leaders across the spectrum: Christian, Jewish and Muslim. Conspiracy theories flourished, with accusations about masons plotting to usurp world power resembling those about Jews in the “Protocols of the Elders of Zion.” As Sommer writes, “it was seen by many as a sinister, destructive sect that tried to govern the world in order to attack religious morality and to implement anarchy.” 

The three central sections of Sommer’s book focus on lodges in Damascus, Beirut and Tripoli. While the depth of research is impressive, it might have been more rewarding to consider Freemasonry in the Ottoman Empire’s major cities further west like Istanbul, İzmir and Salonica. Some conspiracy theories today darkly claim that the young Mustafa Kemal Atatürk himself was active in Salonica’s Lodge Veritas, overseen by the FrenchGrand Orient. Whatever the truth, it is certainly true that masonic lodges in Salonica played an active role in the city through the 19th and early 20th century.

Sommer admits that there is much more to research on the subject. But her book is still a worthy read. Of course it won’t attract the same attention as “Derin Tarih,” but it is definitely more informative.

Dalyan’s rock tombs to be protected by fences

MUĞLA – Doğan News Agency

The world famous historical rock tombs of Dalyan become more damaged as tourists continue to sit on them while taking photos despite warnings. With a new decision, the tombs will now be surrounded with wire fences

 

 

 DHA Photos

In order to preserve the 2,400 year old ancient stone graves in the Köyceğiz district of the western province of Muğla from those who continue to sit on them while taking pictures despite all warnings, the grave walls will now be covered with wire fences.

 Many people ignore the rules and try to climb to the graves, which both puts their lives in danger and harms the artifacts. Besides a wire cloth that will hopefully prevent people from risking their lives, viewing platforms situated below the stone graves have been built, on the instructions of Ertuğrul Günay, former Minister of Culture and Tourism, who is concerned with protecting both the visitors and history. 

Head of the excavations at the ancient city of Kaunos, Professor Cengiz Işık has undertaken vigorous efforts to ameliorate the protection of the historical stone graves, which can be seen from the Dalyan neighborhood.

Examining the site on July 13, 2010, Günay acceded to the construction of viewing platforms so that the visitors will be able to observe the graves from a comfortable area while preserving the stone graves.  The viewing platforms have recently been completed and handed over to the directorate of Fethiye Museum.

Despite all the efforts and precautions taken to preserve the artifacts, some people still enter the stone graves in order to take pictures, at the expense of damaging the historical remnants. Even though there are watchmen at the entrance of the site, some people recklessly put their lives in danger by passing a 70-80 meter high alley to take pictures, said Işık. 

“Unfortunately there is nothing the institutions responsible of this area can do. They assign watchmen and announce that entrance to the graves is forbidden. However, people neglect this and continue to harm the graves. It is illogical to climb to the graves on dangerous paths filled with stones and pebbles,” said Işık, who has been working relentlessly in order to provide a pleasurable time for visitors while ensuring their and the artifacts’ safety. 

Işık continued, “I have talked to Hasan Karaçelik, mayor of Ortaca, and asked to cover the walls of the grave with wire cloths to prevent the climbing to the graves through risky ways. He promised to do it as soon as possible. People knowingly risk their lives. Anytime, someone can fall and get killed. I don’t understand why they choose to cause harm instead of preserving our history.” 

Karaçelik said that the preparations have been completed, adding, “The placement of the wire cloth will be completed in a few days.”