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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.
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.