Levantine Heritage Foundation

Research - Education - Preservation

It is the past that tells us who we are. Without it, we lose our identity - Prof Stephen Hawking
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The Levantine Heritage Foundation (LHF) promotes the research, preservation and education of the heritage, arts and culture of the communities of the Levant region encompassed by the former Ottoman Empire between the 17th and 20th centuries.

The peoples and communities who traded and settled in the area were diverse in origin and faiths, including Venetians, Genoese, Greeks, Turks, Persians, Armenians, Jews, French, Italians, British, many other Europeans and Americans. With the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire in 1923, many of the cosmopolitan communities of the Levant region scattered around the globe. The Levantine Heritage Foundation is piecing together these communities’ histories and legacies for future generations to study and build on.

Based in the UK, the LHF has a world-wide network of members and associates. They are a complementary mix of descendants of those communities, who hold family histories, and academic researchers specialising in Ottoman and European politics, trade and social interactions. The private records of families reveal much about the wider history and heritage of the cosmopolitan cities, communities and networks of the Levant.

The LHF brings together descendants and independent and academic researchers through online talks, international conferences and networking events. It has organised and contributed to conferences and symposia in Izmir, Istanbul, London, Athens, Turin, Genoa and Washington DC. Its freely-accessible website provides a rich source of descendants’ testimonials, interviews, genealogies and images, as well as recordings of events and databases of publications and other information.

The Levantine Heritage Foundation is run by volunteers and is funded mainly by member subscriptions, donations and sponsorship. Members gain priority access to LHF events and to support for their research.

La Levantine Heritage Foundation (LHF) promeut la recherche, la préservation et l’éducation du patrimoine, des arts et de la culture des communautés du Levant englobées par l’ancien Empire ottoman entre les XVIIe et XXe siècles.

Les peuples et les communautés qui faisaient du commerce et se sont installés dans la région étaient d’origine et de croyances diverses, y compris les Vénitiens, les Génois, les Grecs, les Turcs, les Perses, les Arméniens, les Juifs, les Français, les Italiens, les Britanniques, de nombreux autres Européens et Américains. Avec la dissolution de l’Empire ottoman en 1923, de nombreuses communautés cosmopolites de la région du Levant se sont dispersées dans le monde entier. La Levantine Heritage Foundation reconstitue les histoires et les héritages de ces communautés pour que les générations futures puissent les étudier et les développer.

Basée au Royaume-Uni, la LHF dispose d’un réseau mondial de membres et d’associés. Ils sont un mélange complémentaire de descendants de ces communautés, qui ont des histoires familiales, et de chercheurs universitaires spécialisés dans la politique, le commerce et les interactions sociales ottomanes et européennes. Les archives privées des familles en disent long sur l'histoire et le patrimoine plus larges des villes, communautés et réseaux cosmopolites du Levant.

Le LHF rassemble des descendants et des chercheurs indépendants et universitaires à travers des discussions en ligne, des conférences internationales et des événements de réseautage. Il a organisé et contribué à des conférences et colloques à Izmir, Istanbul, Londres, Athènes, Turin, Gênes et Washington DC. Son site Web librement accessible fournit une riche source de témoignages de descendants, d’entretiens, de généalogies et d’images, ainsi que des enregistrements d’événements et des bases de données de publications et d’autres informations.

La Levantine Heritage Foundation est gérée par des bénévoles et est financée principalement par les abonnements des membres, les dons et le parrainage. Les membres ont un accès prioritaire aux événements de la LHF et au soutien de leurs recherches.

Levantine Miras Vakfı (LHF), 17. ve 20. yüzyıllar arasında eski Osmanlı İmparatorluğu tarafından kapsanan Levant bölgesindeki toplulukların miras, sanat ve kültürlerinin araştırılmasını, korunmasını ve eğitimini teşvik eder.

Bölgede ticaret yapan ve yerleşen halklar ve topluluklar, Venedikliler, Cenevizliler, Rumlar, Türkler, Persler, Ermeniler, Yahudiler, Fransızlar, İtalyanlar, İngilizler, diğer birçok Avrupalı ve Amerikalı dahil olmak üzere köken ve inanç bakımından farklıydı. Osmanlı İmparatorluğu’nun 1923’te dağılmasıyla birlikte, Levant bölgesindeki birçok kozmopolit topluluk dünyanın dört bir yanına dağıldı. Levantine Miras Vakfı, gelecek nesiller için bu toplulukların tarihlerini ve miraslarını incelemek ve geliştirmek için bir araya getiriyor.

Birleşik Krallık’ta bulunan LHF, dünya çapında üye ve iştirakçilerden oluşan bir ağa sahiptir. Aile geçmişlerine sahip olan bu toplulukların torunları ile Osmanlı ve Avrupa siyaseti, ticaret ve sosyal etkileşimler konusunda uzmanlaşmış akademik araştırmacıların tamamlayıcı bir karışımıdırlar. Ailelerin özel kayıtları, Levant’ın kozmopolit şehirleri, toplulukları ve ağlarının daha geniş tarihi ve mirası hakkında çok şey ortaya koymaktadır.

LHF, çevrimiçi görüşmeler, uluslararası konferanslar ve ağ oluşturma etkinlikleri aracılığıyla torunları ve bağımsız ve akademik araştırmacıları bir araya getirir. İzmir, İstanbul, Londra, Atina, Torino, Cenova ve Washington DC’de konferans ve sempozyumlar düzenlemiş ve katkıda bulunmuştur. Ücretsiz olarak erişilebilen web sitesi, soyundan gelenlerin tanıklıkları, röportajları, şecereleri ve görüntülerinin yanı sıra olayların kayıtları ve yayınların veri tabanları ve diğer bilgiler için zengin bir kaynak sağlar.

Levantine Miras Vakfı, gönüllüler tarafından yönetilmekte ve esas olarak üye abonelikleri, bağışlar ve sponsorluklarla finanse edilmektedir. Üyeler, LHF etkinliklerine öncelikli erişim ve araştırmalarına destek sağlar.

La Levantine Heritage Foundation (LHF) promuove la ricerca, la conservazione e l’educazione del patrimonio, delle arti e della cultura delle comunità della regione del Levante compresa dall’ex Impero Ottomano tra il XVII e il XX secolo.

I popoli e le comunità che commerciavano e si stabilirono nell’area erano diversi per origine e fedi, inclusi veneziani, genovesi, greci, turchi, persiani, armeni, ebrei, francesi, italiani, britannici, molti altri europei e americani. Con la dissoluzione dell'Impero Ottomano nel 1923, molte delle comunità cosmopolite della regione del Levante si sparsero in tutto il mondo. La Levantine Heritage Foundation sta mettendo insieme le storie e le eredità di queste comunità affinché le generazioni future possano studiarle e costruirle.

Con sede nel Regno Unito, la LHF dispone di una rete mondiale di membri e associati. Sono un mix complementare di discendenti di quelle comunità, che hanno storie familiari e ricercatori accademici specializzati in politica, commercio e interazioni sociali ottomane ed europee. I registri privati ​​delle famiglie rivelano molto sulla storia e il patrimonio più ampi delle città, delle comunità e delle reti cosmopolite del Levante.

L’LHF riunisce discendenti e ricercatori indipendenti e accademici attraverso conferenze online, conferenze internazionali ed eventi di networking. Ha organizzato e contribuito a conferenze e simposi a Izmir, Istanbul, Londra, Atene, Torino, Genova e Washington DC. Il suo sito web liberamente accessibile fornisce una ricca fonte di testimonianze, interviste, genealogie e immagini dei discendenti, nonché registrazioni di eventi e database di pubblicazioni e altre informazioni.

La Levantine Heritage Foundation è gestita da volontari ed è finanziata principalmente da iscrizioni, donazioni e sponsorizzazioni dei membri. I membri ottengono l'accesso prioritario agli eventi LHF e al supporto per la loro ricerca.

Το Levantine Heritage Foundation (LHF) προωθεί την έρευνα, τη διατήρηση και την εκπαίδευση σχετικά με την κληρονομιά, τις τέχνες και τον πολιτισμό των κοινοτήτων του Λεβάντε, περιοχής που περιλαμβάνεται εντός της επικράτειας της πρώην Οθωμανικής Αυτοκρατορίας μεταξύ του 17ου και του 20ού αιώνα.

Οι λαοί και οι κοινότητες που έκαναν εμπόριο και εγκαταστάθηκαν στην περιοχή ήταν διαφορετικοί ως προς την καταγωγή και τις θρησκείες, συμπεριλαμβανομένων Βενετών, Γενοβέζων, Ελλήνων, Τούρκων, Περσών, Αρμενίων, Εβραίων, Γάλλων, Ιταλών, Βρετανών, πολλών άλλων Ευρωπαίων και Αμερικανών. Με τη διάλυση της Οθωμανικής Αυτοκρατορίας το 1923, πολλές από τις κοσμοπολίτικες κοινότητες της περιοχής του Λεβάντε διασκορπίστηκαν σε όλο τον κόσμο. Το Levantine Heritage Foundation συγκεντρώνει τις ιστορίες και την κληρονομιά αυτών των κοινοτήτων για να μελετηθούν και να αξιοποιηθούν από τις μελλοντικές γενιές.

Με έδρα το Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο, το LHF διαθέτει ένα παγκόσμιο δίκτυο μελών και συνεργατών. Αποτελούν ένα αλληλοσυμπληρούμενο σύνολο απογόνων των κοινοτήτων, που έχουν τις δικές τους οικογενειακές ιστορίες, και ακαδημαϊκών ερευνητών που ειδικεύονται στην οθωμανική και ευρωπαϊκή πολιτική, το εμπόριο και τις κοινωνικές αλληλεπιδράσεις. Τα ιδιωτικά αρχεία των οικογενειών αποκαλύπτουν πολλά για την ευρύτερη ιστορία και την κληρονομιά των κοσμοπολίτικων πόλεων, κοινοτήτων και δικτύων του Λεβάντε.

Το LHF συγκεντρώνει απογόνους, καθώς επίσης ανεξάρτητους και ακαδημαϊκούς ερευνητές μέσω διαδικτυακών συνομιλιών, διεθνών συνεδρίων και εκδηλώσεων δικτύωσης. Έχει οργανώσει και συνεισφέρει σε συνέδρια και συμπόσια στη Σμύρνη, την Κωνσταντινούπολη, το Λονδίνο, την Αθήνα, το Τορίνο, τη Γένοβα και την Ουάσιγκτον. Ο ελεύθερα προσβάσιμος ιστότοπός του, παρέχει μια πλούσια πηγή μαρτυριών, συνεντεύξεων, γενεαλογιών και εικονογραφικών τεκμηρίων των απογόνων, καθώς και καταγραφές γεγονότων και βάσεις δεδομένων δημοσιεύσεων και άλλων πληροφοριών.

Το Levantine Heritage Foundation διοικείται από εθελοντές και χρηματοδοτείται κυρίως από συνδρομές μελών, δωρεές και χορηγίες. Τα μέλη αποκτούν πρόσβαση κατά προτεραιότητα σε εκδηλώσεις LHF και υποστήριξη στην έρευνά τους.

Upcoming Events - LHF

27 November 2024, 4.30 - 8 pm

Hybrid Symposium: ‘Trieste and the Levant’, Katia Pizzi, Richard Bassett, Philip Mansel, Michael Cottakis - Woburn Suite, Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU - information & registration:

External Events

20 November 2024, (8 pm UK time)

Online presentation: Canadians in Turkey (1876–1938), Evren Altinkas - University of Toronto, Faculty of Arts & Science - flyer:

11 December 2024, 7.30 pm (UK time)

Online presentation: Crusader criminals, Dr Steve Tibble - Historical Association

until 31 January 2025

Exhibition: Elisa Zonaro’s Istanbul - Kazlıçeşme Sanat, Abay Caddesi 165, Zeytinburnu, Istanbul

until 5 January 2025

Exhibition: Venice and the Ottoman Empire - North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, USA

until 15 March 2025

Exhibition: Beirut Recollections - The Fouad Debbas Collection Gallery, Level 1, Sursock Museum, Ashrafieh, Beirut, Lebanon

9-12 April 2025

Conference: Travellers in Ottoman Lands, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences of Sabancı University, ASTENE, NIT (the Netherlands Institute in Turkey), and Cornucopia - Istanbul

until 25 June 2025

Exhibition: Burnt Homeland - Ahmet Piriştina Kent Arşivi ve Müzesi, Şair Eşref Bulvarı No: 1/A Çankaya, İzmir - flyer:

Featured video

Our trustee Philip Mansel endorsement of our Foundation, filmed August 2024


Featured campaign

The Levantine Heritage Library & Archive

One of the three main aims of the LHF is to preserve Levantine heritage in its diverse forms (the other two being to promote research and education in Levantine studies). This includes family histories, images, databases, academic research – all of which can be found on our website. Our goal is also to collect and keep certain physical items such as books, family papers and photographs, recipes and cookbooks and any other item which can have a heritage or research value. Our ambition is one day to have a place, perhaps a Levantine house itself in need of preservation, where our library and collection can be preserved and made accessible. >>read more: - intro video: