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This
site is intended to provide a wide range of information about the Levantine
community, serve as a discussion forum, and provide a meeting point
for descendants.
For our purposes the term “Levantines” designates primarily those Europeans and Americans who settled in the Levant - a region generally conterminous with the Ottoman Empire though a precise definition may be subject to debate - from the early 17th century until 1923. It also includes certain members, sometimes whole families, of non-Turkish groups of Ottoman subjects - Greeks, Armenians, Persians - drawn into the Levantine orbit by virtue of business and professional contacts with the expatriates.
The material presented here thus far happens to refer predominantly to the British presence in the Smyrna (Izmir) area, but information about other national groups and parts of the Levant will be warmly welcomed. Indeed it is hoped that a more complete picture will emerge as such information comes in.
The web site not only brings together information from various written sources and personal recollections, but aims to serve as an open platform for discussion and exchange of views on a still under-researched subject. The site is still under construction and the content and style of presentation will be determined and amended in accordance with the feedback I receive from the readership. This can be e-mailed to me at craigencer[at]yahoo.com and I will also act as the intermediary for connecting you with other descendants. More information on our grouping:
For our purposes the term “Levantines” designates primarily those Europeans and Americans who settled in the Levant - a region generally conterminous with the Ottoman Empire though a precise definition may be subject to debate - from the early 17th century until 1923. It also includes certain members, sometimes whole families, of non-Turkish groups of Ottoman subjects - Greeks, Armenians, Persians - drawn into the Levantine orbit by virtue of business and professional contacts with the expatriates.
The material presented here thus far happens to refer predominantly to the British presence in the Smyrna (Izmir) area, but information about other national groups and parts of the Levant will be warmly welcomed. Indeed it is hoped that a more complete picture will emerge as such information comes in.
The web site not only brings together information from various written sources and personal recollections, but aims to serve as an open platform for discussion and exchange of views on a still under-researched subject. The site is still under construction and the content and style of presentation will be determined and amended in accordance with the feedback I receive from the readership. This can be e-mailed to me at craigencer[at]yahoo.com and I will also act as the intermediary for connecting you with other descendants. More information on our grouping:
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If you wish to contribute to the ongoing restoration work at St. Mary Magdalene Church and Anglican Cemetery in Bornova, click here for details: & updated information:
E-mail administrator to obtain copies of aid documents: ‘How to research archive in a Levantine context’ and ‘Template of Questions for Levantine Oral Interviews’ (also in Italian). - Announcing the start of the ‘Veteran Levantines Speak’ project headed by Görkem Daşkan, click video to learn. Please get in touch with us if you can assist in any way. For transcript of the interview, click here:- for further information, click here: - Would you or your business be interested in sponsoring one of our researchers on the ground or hiring them for personal family research - details: - | ||
Announcing the start of the ‘Alsancak House Ownership Research Project’ managed by Görkem Daşkan, click video for first interview sample. Please get in touch with us if you can assist in any way - for further information, click here:
- If you would like to contribute to the commitee working for the repair and upkeep of the Christian cemeteries of Izmir, click for details: - Announcing the recent publication of the ‘Traditional Recipes of the Levantine Cuisine’ in English and Turkish, that can now be purchased, through this web page. If you wish to purchase a limited edition of the 2010 Levantine Symposium book contact the administrator. - Click to view details of an ongoing exhibition in Istanbul to highlight the four hundred years of diplomatic and commercial relations between Holland and Turkey. |
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New MSc educational programme that combines Middle Eastern and Diaspora studies in Edinburgh, Scotland, the first of its kind concentrating on minorities of the Levant - pdf details:
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Upcoming lecture in London, hosted by the Anglo-Turkish Society, to be held at the Yunus Emre Centre, Maple Street, London: Tuesday 6.30 pm 21 February 2012 - James Mather on his book ‘The Pashas’.
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Announcing the launch of our registered charity foundation arm, ‘The Levantine Heritage Foundation’ in December 2011, the web site will soon accept membership and donation payments. Your generosity will ensure the continuation of research in the field.
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Reminder of the upcoming Izmir Levantine Study group meeting on 27 January 2012, 19.30, Alsancak. Contact administrator for details.
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Reminder of the current photographic and documentary exhibition on ‘Smyrna: The destruction of a cosmopolitan city 1900-1922’ at the Benaki Museum, Athens, Greece - an example:
