Masonic Lodges in the Ottoman Empire

How Freemasonry penetrated the Balkans during the Ottoman period. The first lodges, their members and their influence on society.

Freemasonry is a secular, philosophical, educational, philanthropic and initiatory institution with over 300 years of history. It unites people of different beliefs who share common moral and ethical values.

Freemasonry is not a religion, nor a political party — it is a school for moral improvement, using symbols, rituals and allegories as tools for teaching universal truths.