The banks of the ancient Nile for more than a century and a half harbored one of the most captivating secrets of the worldwide Masonic movement, representing a unique interweaving of ancient mystical traditions with modern European ideas. The history of Freemasonry in Egypt from 1798 to 1964 is not merely a chronicle of organizational activity, but a grand epic of cultural synthesis, political struggle, and spiritual quest that exerted the most profound influence on the formation of the modern Middle East.
The origins of Egyptian Freemasonry are rooted in conceptions of the connection between the modern fraternity and ancient Egyptian mysteries. Many Masonic authors, including Albert Mackey, believed that there exists a direct continuity between the ancient initiatory traditions of Egypt and modern Freemasonry. Masonic rituals include numerous symbols and allegories connected with Egyptian mythology—from the story of Isis and Osiris to the symbolism of pyramids and the sphinx. According to Masonic legends, the origins of the fraternity trace back to the building of Solomon’s Temple, but Egyptian mysteries are regarded as an even more ancient source of Masonic wisdom, where knowledge of the building arts and sacred geometry was first systematized.
Freemasonry first appeared in Egypt around 1798, introduced by French Freemasons in Napoleon’s army. Although it is not definitively known whether Napoleon himself was a Freemason—multiple hypotheses have been advanced regarding possible initiation in Valence, Marseilles, Nancy, Malta, or Egypt itself—he certainly used the Masonic fraternity to establish friendly relations with the local population. The Emperor wasted no time, flooding the country with circulars expressing respect for the Muslim religion and founding the Lodge “Isis,” into which several distinguished individuals were initiated.
Lodge “Isis” was founded by General Jean-Baptiste Kléber in Cairo in 1798 under the military authority of the French expedition as a military Lodge without formal warrant from a Grand Lodge. The name was adopted in honor of the mysterious rites of the priests of Isis, sister and wife of Osiris, a prominent figure in Egyptian mythology. The Lodge practiced the so-called Memphis Rite, named after the place where the brotherhood of priests assembled and which was the great school of wisdom and mysteries of the Egyptians. Work was conducted in the French language. Lodge “Isis” flourished under the leadership of its first Master, General Kléber, until he was assassinated on June 14, 1800, after which the Lodge was closed.
Lodge “Saint-Jean d’Ecosse du Grand Sphinx” was created in 1798 and consisted predominantly of artists—painters, engravers, architects of the French expedition. This Lodge operated under informal military authority, and its brethren brought sixty casts of Egyptian bas-reliefs to Paris for the collections of antiquities of the Mother Scottish Lodge of France.
After the departure of the French in 1801, Freemasonry continued to develop under Ottoman Governor Muhammad Ali, who ruled from 1805 to 1848. According to an Austrian police report of 1818, at that time there existed in Egypt a Masonic organization called the “Egyptian Secret Society.” This society was headed by Bernardino Drovetti, former consul of Napoleon, appointed French Consul General in Egypt in 1811, who lost his mandate in September 1814 after the purges of Bonapartists during the Restoration and regained it in 1821. The society was suspected of conspiracy against the Ottoman Empire, supporting the policies of Pasha Mehmet Ali. This organization adopted the Egyptian Rite of Cagliostro, which was also used in Italy during the same period.
Lodge “Les Chevaliers des Pyramides” (Knights of the Pyramids) was installed by Vitalis Coste in Cairo on December 26, 1811, in “Grand Caire” (Greater Cairo) with a warrant from the Mother Scottish Lodge of France under the Scottish Philosophical Rite. Vitalis Coste, born in Marseilles on September 5, 1777, and bearing the degree of “Grand Ecossais,” was a merchant and received authority from the MSLF. He belonged to the Marseilles Lodge “L’Amitié et l’Impériale des Amis fidèles du Grand Napoléon,” affiliated with the Scottish Philosophical Rite, between 1807 and 1813.
Lodge “Les Amis de la Concorde” (Friends of Concord) was installed by the same Vitalis Coste in Alexandria on May 4, 1812, with a warrant from the Mother Scottish Lodge of France under the Scottish Philosophical Rite. The deliberations of the Mother Scottish Lodge of France dated December 10, 1813, contain the official record: “Worshipful Brother Coste gives reading of the board reporting on two Lodges which he created in Egypt by means of authority which he received from the Worshipful Lodge.”
In 1830, some Italians formed a Carbonari Lodge in Alexandria. This Lodge was entirely political, and since its activities were closely monitored by the government, its meetings were conducted in complete secrecy. However, it proved popular.
Lodge “Menes” was founded after the Carbonari Lodge and worked under the Memphis Rite, also flourishing.
Samuel Honis, sometimes recorded as Hanas, a Mason of the Memphis Rite, became one of the most active members of this period and founded a series of French Lodges in various Egyptian cities.
Lodge “Al-Ahram” was founded by Samuel Honis in Alexandria in 1845. This was “recognized” by the government, and many high-ranking officials were initiated into it, including the famous Emir Abd el-Ghaziri, who fought against the French in Algeria and, while in exile in Syria, gave refuge and saved hundreds of Christian families during the Damascus massacre. Honis also founded Lodges in Ismailia, Port Said, Suez, and Cairo.
In 1836, the Supreme Council of the Memphis Rite of France issued a warrant for a Provincial Grand Council in Egypt, and several Lodges were founded in Egypt under Italian jurisdiction and others until 1862. Jacques Étienne Marconis de Nègre revived the Order of Memphis in Egypt, creating a Lodge in Cairo and founding a Supreme Council in Alexandria before 1862 with direct authority from the founder of the Memphis Rite.
The first Italian Lodge for work under the Scottish Rite was founded by Salvatore Zola in Alexandria in 1849. Salvatore Zola subsequently became Grand Master of the Grand Orient and Grand Lodge of Egypt. In the 1830s, after the unsuccessful Italian revolution, many Italian Masons were forced to flee and secretly created an approved branch of the Scottish Rite in Alexandria.
Between 1862 and 1871, English Masons formed eight Lodges directly under the management of the United Grand Lodge of England. These Lodges, being under the control of the United Grand Lodge of England, and Egypt being part of the Ottoman Empire, were subject to inspection by the District Grand Master of Turkey, Worshipful Brother Sir Henry Bulwer, later Baron Dalling and Bulwer.
Lodge “Saint John” No. 919 was created in Alexandria with a UGLE warrant issued in 1862, working from 1862 to 1877 under installers—representatives of the District Grand Master of Turkey.
Lodge “Hyde Clark” No. 1082 was created in Alexandria with a UGLE warrant issued in 1865, working from 1865 to 1869 as a short-term organization.
Lodge “Bulwer Lodge of Cairo” No. 1068 was created in Cairo with a UGLE warrant issued in 1865, as the oldest English Lodge in Cairo, named after Sir Henry Bulwer (Baron Dalling & Bulwer). When the District was formed in 1899, Lodge Bulwer was among the four principal Lodges of the District. The Cairo Lodges met in a Temple on Sharia Wagh el-Birka Street until October 1903, when more satisfactory premises were obtained in an apartment in a house on Sharia Antikana Street. The locations of Lodge Bulwer’s Temples changed: 1865-1903—Temple on Sharia Wagh el-Birka Street, 1903-1913—apartment in the Maison Bonello house, 1913-1956—apartment on the upper floor of Maison de Farro. On October 23, 1913, the apartment on the upper floor of Maison de Farro, the house on Sharia Antikana el-Masria Street was acquired, and the new Temple was consecrated by District Grand Master Sir Reginald Wingate. In 1900, an appeal was made for donations in favor of the South African Masonic Relief Fund to help people suffering during the Anglo-Boer War. The Lodge decided to forgo the Installation banquet and add the saved money to other contributions from the brethren. This raised more than one hundred and fifty pounds for the fund. A magnificent organ was installed in memory of the visit to Lodge Bulwer in Cairo by the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, when he was Grand Master. The last meeting in Cairo was held on June 7, 1956, and the minutes of this meeting were never confirmed by the Worshipful Master; and thus Lodge Bulwer in Cairo came to the end of its time in Egypt.
Lodge “Grecia” No. 1105 was created in Cairo with a UGLE warrant dated March 31, 1866, as the second oldest Lodge working under the management of the United Grand Lodge of England in Egypt. Originally it bore the name “Hellas Lodge” and worked in the Greek language, in which the earliest minutes were kept. Lord Kitchener was one of the founders of the revived Lodge “Grecia” in 1890, when it transitioned to English and enjoyed enormous respect among Masons. This Lodge has a unique status: it was opened in Greek as Lodge “Hellas” and closed in English as Lodge “Grecia.” Lodge “Grecia” is always mentioned as a “daughter Lodge” of Lodge Bulwer in Cairo, despite its Greek origins. During the existence of the short-lived National Grand Lodge of Egypt, English Masons were forbidden to form new Lodges. By that time Bulwer had such large membership that waiting for the Chair was longer than the expected lifespan of most members. To circumvent this, members of Bulwer took over the weakening Greek Lodge called “Hellas.” The most important Temples in Masonic circles in Cairo were Lodges “Grecia” and Bulwer, facing Midan Ismail (today Midan Tahrir).
Lodge “Saint John and Saint Paul” No. 1154 was created in Alexandria with a UGLE warrant issued in 1867, working from 1867 to 1872.
Lodge “Zetland” No. 1157 was founded in Alexandria under a warrant dated March 5, 1867, as the longest-lived English Lodge in Egypt, working from 1867 to 1956. It held the record for uninterrupted work from its foundation until 1956 and did not suspend its meetings during the 1882 uprising. Although never large, Lodge “Zetland” had in its ranks a number of distinguished men, including Sir George Melville and Moberly Bell, the distinguished correspondent of “The Times.” It possessed an irreplaceable collection of beautiful silver replicas of ship’s badges of vessels that visited Alexandria and remained long enough for Masonic members of the crew. The collection, displayed on the walls of the New Masonic Temple at 1 rue Toussoun Pasha, was lost in 1956. For some time after 1882, the Lodge worked with great difficulty, having few opportunities for expansion. However, a faithful group of brethren held together, working and hoping for better times. With the accession to the Chair of W. Bro. Percy Smith in 1902, good times finally came with a period of rapid expansion that continued until the end. “Star of the East,” like Lodge “Zetland,” was struck off the rolls of Grand Lodge on December 8, 1965.
Lodge “La Concordia” No. 1226 was created in Cairo with a UGLE warrant issued in 1868, working from 1868 to 1890 in the Italian language.
Lodge “Kawkab el Sharq” (Star of the East) No. 1355, known as “Star of the East,” was founded in 1871 as the fourth oldest Lodge in Egypt with a UGLE warrant issued specifically for work in Arabic for non-Europeans, working from 1871 to 1956. It was originally founded by some local Egyptian members of Lodge Bulwer in Cairo who wanted to have a Lodge for work under English constitution in Arabic and exclusively for non-Europeans, and was founded with the Arabic name “Kawkab el-Sharq.” The warrant was obtained exclusively for this purpose as a uniqueness—the first UGLE warrant specifically for an Arabic-speaking Lodge. In its time as an Arabic Lodge, it had several very distinguished Masters, including Idris Bey Ragheb in 1890, who became Grand Master of the Egyptian Grand Lodge. At that time it was a very wealthy Lodge that conducted luxurious and widely attended Installation banquets, financed from the accumulated funds of the Lodge. Around 1906, the Lodge began accepting non-Egyptians as joining members, and the distinguished Mason W. Bro. Delanoy became the first European accepted into the Lodge. The Lodge worked in Arabic until 1908, when declining membership led to transition to an English Lodge and return to success; this change was sanctioned by the Grand Master. With the post-revolutionary exodus of the Egyptian upper khawagat (foreigners), Lodges and Masonic Temples lost many of their more affluent members. Meanwhile, some Masons, whether from fear or self-interest, simply stopped appearing at meetings, so that even the entirely Egyptian “Star of the East” could barely sustain itself.
Lodge “Albert Edward Lodge” No. 1291 was created in Alexandria with a UGLE warrant issued in 1969, consecrated in 1969.
Lodge “Oriental” No. 472 was created in Suez with a GLS warrant issued August 5, 1867, by the Grand Lodge of Scotland, working from 1867 to 1881 as the first Scottish Lodge in Egypt, becoming inactive in 1881. A second Scottish Lodge received a GLS warrant in 1884 with limited documentation.
In 1864, a provisional warrant, confirmed in 1866, was issued by the Grand Orient of Italy, creating the Grand Orient of Egypt for work in higher degrees and the National Grand Lodge of Egypt for work in the first three degrees. This eliminated the state of anarchy that existed among the many Rites and constitutions, and this Masonic authority gradually became recognized worldwide.
Prince Halim, an initiate of Lodge Bulwer in Cairo, was made the first Sovereign Grand Commander with authority from the Grand Orient of Italy and was succeeded by Salvatore Zola. Khedive Ismail, one of the greatest figures of nineteenth-century Egypt, although not himself a Mason, patronized the Order as a distinguished humanitarian organization and permitted his son Tewfik to be initiated.
On December 21, 1872, the Rite of Memphis was again brought into action with official approval from Khedive Ismail Pasha, and Grand Master Salvatore Antonio Zola was elected, heading the Sanctuary of Memphis and the Grand Orient of Egypt. Two years later he became Grand Hierophant with the 97° degree of Grand Hierophant. Zola transferred this position in 1883 to Professor Oddi.
A District Grand Lodge was created in the period from 1871 to 1878 because the National Grand Lodge of Egypt lost its recognition by the United Grand Lodge of England, since it patronized Lodges working under several Rites not recognized by UGLE, including the Memphis Rite. Although individual Lodges under District management met frequently, the District Grand Lodge met only three times in seven years of its existence: June 24, 1871, April 3, 1873, and April 2, 1874.
On May 8, 1876, reorganization led to the creation of three separate grand Masonic bodies: the National Grand Lodge of Egypt, the Supreme Council of the Scottish Rite, and the Sovereign Grand Council of the Memphis Rite. In 1879, the National Grand Lodge was proclaimed “free, sovereign, and independent” from other bodies.
In 1881, Khedive Tewfik Pasha became Grand Master and governed more than five hundred Lodges working in English, French, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, and Arabic, and obtained recognition for the Grand Lodge of Egypt from most of the recognized Grand Lodges of the world. Research by Brother Moussa Sindah shows that Khedive Tewfik actually delegated his duties to Hussein Fahri Pasha, Minister of Justice, and that the number of Lodges was closer to fifty-six than the claimed five hundred.
Historians may agree that Freemasonry in Egypt emerged from underground during the Orabi uprising of 1882. That Ahmed Orabi Pasha himself was a member of the Order was never proven; however, it is known that several of his supporters were such. Anti-colonial organizers, such as the Islamic thinker Brother Jamal ad-Din al-Afghani, Brother Muhammad Abduh, and the renowned writer Brother Yaqub Sanu, were prominent members of various Egyptian Masonic Lodges.
Al-Afghani actively sought Freemasonry because of its political dimension as a liberation movement: “Since the Masonic society does not interfere in cosmic politics, including every free builder, and since the building tools that it has are not used for demolishing old buildings to erect monuments of liberty, fraternity, and equality… The first thing that prompted me to work in the building of the free was the solemn, impressive motto: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.”
According to Broadbent, “in Egypt the principles of Continental Freemasonry with its republican slogans Fraternity, Liberty, Equality obviously overshadowed the strong British elements that once prevailed in our numerous Lodges.” Sheikh Muhammad Abduh “was not a dangerous fanatic or religious enthusiast, since he belonged to the broadest school of Muslim thought, adhered to a political creed similar to pure republicanism, and was a zealous Master of a Masonic Lodge.”
The District Grand Lodge was formed in 1899 with Viscount Kitchener of Khartoum as the first District Grand Master with authority from the United Grand Lodge of England. Lord Kitchener enjoyed great respect among Masons, but his army duties forced him to resign as early as 1901. He was succeeded by General Sir Reginald Wingate with authority from UGLE, serving from 1901 to 1920 and conducting distinguished installations, including the consecration of the new Temple of Lodge Bulwer on October 23, 1913. He was followed by John Langley with authority from UGLE, serving from 1920 to 1923 until his death in 1923. Then General-Major Sir Lee Stack was appointed in 1924, who was brutally murdered on a Cairo street on November 19, 1924, before taking office.
Lodge “Pelusium” No. 3003 was founded in Port Said on March 31, 1904, under a warrant dated October 1, 1903, created specifically for the brethren of Port Said engaged in shipping or coal trade, as a unique organization for serving brethren passing through the Suez Canal, and was very well known to Masons transiting through the canal.
The consecration of the Masonic Temple in Cairo took place on October 23, 1913, when the apartment on the upper floor of Maison de Farro, the house on Sharia Antikana el-Masria Street was acquired, and the new Temple was consecrated by District Grand Master Sir Reginald Wingate. From the “Memorial of the Consecration of the Masonic Temple” follows a detailed description of the ceremony. The participants in the consecration included the principal consecrator—District Grand Master Sir Reginald Wingate, Senior Steward—W. Bro. Robinson from Lodge “Grecia” No. 1105, Junior Steward—W. Bro. Mann from Lodge “Zetland” No. 1157, representing the three oldest Lodges under English constitution in Egypt. The consecrating officers entered in procession, and the gavel was passed to Sir Reginald Wingate. After the opening hymn, the following consecration was performed by the District Grand Master: “Brethren here assembled to witness this ceremony: Be it known unto you that we are true and lawful Freemasons.”
The Egyptian Gazette of January 9, 1903, reports that “the new Masonic Temple consists of a spacious and beautiful Lodge Temple capable of accommodating one hundred brethren, as well as a refreshment room opening onto a spacious terrace from which there is a magnificent view of the new Museum of Antiquities building, the Kasr el-Nil barracks, the Nile, and the open country beyond with the pyramids in the distance.”
In 1922, some brethren withdrew from the National Grand Lodge in September 1922 to form another Grand Lodge of Egypt.
As evidenced by the local press in 1925, some women in Alexandria demanded membership in the fraternity.
In 1928, the roster mentions seventy-one Arabic, eleven French, nine Greek, six Italian, four Armenian, one Russian, one Turkish Lodge.
On June 8, 1934, the Foundation Stone for a new Masonic Temple intended to become the permanent home of the District was laid on Sharia Madrasseh el-Fransawia Street with the purpose of creating a permanent home for District jurisdiction.
Between 1940 and 1957, there functioned eighteen Masonic Temples in Cairo, thirty-three in Alexandria, ten in Port Said, two in Mansoura, two in Ismailia, and one each in Fayum, Mahalla al-Kubra, and Minya. The largest and most important Masonic Temple was located at number one Toussoun Street in Alexandria. All Lodges in Alexandria met in the Masonic Temple at number one rue Toussoun Pasha, which was the center of Masonic life in the city. A club was created in the Temple that successfully operated as a commercial enterprise. All Masons belonging to local English and Scottish Lodges were members and met here “outside Masonic hours” for ordinary club activities, billiards, and refreshment. By the end of the 1940s, the Lodge was so busy that it not only held its ten regular meetings but often two or three emergency meetings each year.
When Farouk ascended the throne, Freemasonry in Egypt rapidly became “guilty by association,” accused of maintaining strong Zionist connections. This accusation was subsequently refuted in a study conducted by a team of diplomats attached to the office of Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr. Mahmoud Fawzi. In the minds of traditionalists, the physical resemblance between Masonic Temples and B’nai B’rith Lodges—a Judeo-Zionist organization created on the Masonic model—was too obvious for someone not to confuse them. After the end of World War II, B’nai B’rith Lodges in Cairo and Alexandria were immediately closed.
On April 4, 1964, the Masonic Temple on Alexandria’s Toussoun Street was closed by order of the Ministry of Social Affairs. The reason: “Associations with undeclared purposes were incompatible with rules concerning non-profit organizations.” Sufficiently disturbing evidence for the state to worry about the political purposes of Freemasonry appeared the following year in Damascus when master spy Eli Cohen was captured. Having evaded Syrian intelligence for many years while posing as an Arab, it was discovered that Eli had been a Mason in Egypt, where he was born.
Let us now examine the complete picture of all Masonic organizations that operated in Egypt under various jurisdictions.
Lodges of the Grand Orient of France included several organizations created with official warrants in different periods.
Lodge “La Bienfaisance” (Charity) was created in Alexandria in 1802 with a warrant from the Grand Orient of France as the first official GOF Lodge in Egypt, installed by French representatives of the GOF.
Lodge “Les Amis de Napoléon le Grand” (Friends of Napoleon the Great) was created in Alexandria in 1806 with a warrant from the Grand Orient of France, dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte.
Additional GOF Lodges included the 1847 Lodge in Alexandria with a GOF warrant, the 1848 Lodge in Alexandria with a GOF warrant, the 1863 Lodge in Alexandria with a GOF warrant, the 1868 Lodge in Cairo with a GOF warrant, the 1882 Lodge in Mansoura with a GOF warrant.
Lodge “Le Nil” was founded by Jules César Zivi and depended on the Grand Orient of France.
Lodges of the Grand Lodge of France worked in various Egyptian cities with French warrants of the later period.
Alexandrian GLF Lodges included the 1871 Lodge with a Grand Lodge of France warrant and the 1910 Lodge—the second Lodge with a GLF warrant.
Cairo GLF Lodges included the 1889 Lodge—the first GLF Lodge in Cairo, the 1910 Lodge—the second GLF Lodge in Cairo, the 1911 Lodge—the third GLF Lodge in Cairo.
The Lodge in Port Said was created in 1867 with a GLF warrant.
Italian Lodges under the Grand Orient of Italy operated in various Egyptian cities.
Alexandrian GOI Lodges included six Lodges under the jurisdiction of the Grand Orient of Italy, all with GOI warrants.
Cairo GOI Lodges included three Lodges under GOI jurisdiction.
Lodges in other cities included one Lodge in Port Said with a GOI warrant and one Lodge in Suez with a GOI warrant.
German Lodges were created in two Egyptian cities.
The Lodge in Cairo was created in 1866 with a warrant from a German Grand Lodge (exact jurisdiction not specified).
The Lodge in Alexandria was created in 1908 with a warrant from a German Grand Lodge.
Lodges of Egyptian Rites included various organizations working under specific Egyptian systems.
Lodges of the Rite of Memphis operated under various warrants and in different periods.
Lodges of the Rite of Mizraim functioned as a separate system until unification.
Lodges of the united Rite of Memphis-Mizraim worked after the 1881 merger under Garibaldi’s leadership, who became Grand Hierophant of the united Rites of “Memphis and Mizraim” in 1881-1882, with successor John Yarker after Garibaldi’s death.
Special organizations included various administrative structures of Egyptian Freemasonry.
The National Grand Lodge of Egypt functioned from 1866 for work in the first three degrees.
The Grand Orient of Egypt operated from 1866 for work in higher degrees.
The Provincial Grand Lodge worked under English jurisdiction.
The District Grand Lodge functioned from 1871-1878.
Supreme Council AASR (Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite) represented the higher degrees of the Scottish system.
Provincial Grand Council of Memphis Rite operated from 1836 under French authority.
Lodges with ancient Egyptian names included organizations emphasizing connection with ancient Egypt.
Lodge “Sphinx” bore the name of the great monument of Giza.
Lodge “New Memphis” referred to the ancient capital of Egypt.
Lodge “Pyramids” was named after the great pyramids.
Lodge “Cheops” bore the name of the pharaoh-builder of the Great Pyramid.
Salvatore Zola, who wanted the Egyptian Grand Lodge to be recognized worldwide, unilaterally dissolved all irregular and unrecognized Lodges and established strict observance of the recognized Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. He made it clear to the United Grand Lodge of England that the National Grand Lodge of Egypt was working regularly.
International recognition of Egyptian Freemasonry by 1928 included numerous Grand Lodges of the USA, a large number of European and South American jurisdictions, the Grand Lodge of New Zealand, Northern and Southern jurisdictions of the Scottish Rite of the USA and Canada.
The Sovereign Grand Lodge of Egypt, operating since 2024, claims to work in English, serves all Arabic-non-speaking brethren living in Egypt, uses an ancient Egyptian ritual with a claimed age of sixty-five thousand years, originally performed in complete silence. The organization claims that Eastern Freemasonry is the main cornerstone of all Masonic traditions and obediences worldwide. The status of this organization is self-proclaimed; it is not recognized by mainstream Masonic jurisdictions.
Multilingual authority operated for more than five hundred Lodges working in English, French, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, and Arabic. Special ritual adaptations included Arabic for Lodge “Star of the East” until 1908, Greek for Lodge “Hellas” until 1890, Italian for Lodge “La Concordia,” Hebrew for several Lodges in cosmopolitan centers, French for Grand Orient of France Lodges, English for UGLE Lodges.
Archival materials of Egyptian Freemasonry are preserved in various collections. Archives of the Scottish Philosophical Rite contain deliberations of the Mother Scottish Lodge of France dated December 10, 1813, with official record of the creation of Egyptian Lodges by Vitalis Coste. Archives of Claude-Antoine Thory included his function as Grand Archivist of the Scottish Philosophical Rite from March 10, 1788, a library recognized as one of the richest of the epoch, documentation partially plundered in 1789, restored through Thory. Thory’s work “Acta Latomorum” contains information that two Lodges were created within the Scottish Philosophical Rite: Lodge “Knights of the Pyramids,” founded in Cairo (“Greater Cairo”) on December 26, 1811, and Lodge “Friends of Concord,” founded in Alexandria on May 4, 1812.
Documents, warrants, and archives of Egyptian Freemasonry are preserved in the archives of the United Grand Lodge of England, the Library of the Grand Orient of France, archives of Lodge Bulwer (now in Britain), private collections of Masonic historians.
The history of Freemasonry in Egypt represents a unique phenomenon where ancient Egyptian mystical traditions met with modern European Freemasonry. From the first Lodges founded by Napoleon’s soldiers to the complex system of various Rites and jurisdictions, Egyptian Freemasonry played an important role in the political, cultural, and intellectual life of the country for more than a century and a half.
The characteristics of Egyptian Freemasonry were its multi-confessional and multinational character, active political role in the struggle for independence, development of unique Egyptian Rites, inclusion of women in some currents, synthesis of various esoteric traditions.
Freemasonry in Egypt served as a connecting link between Western and Egyptian elites and helped spread Western ideological influences that contributed to the rise of Egyptian nationalism in the late nineteenth century. What began as a secret movement ultimately emerged into open space, as evidenced by notices in newspapers, society pages, and other forms of print media.
Egyptian Freemasonry represented a unique case of adaptation of a Western organizational form to a Middle Eastern context, where it served both as an instrument of modernization and as a means of political mobilization. More than one hundred and sixty years of active activity left an indelible mark on the political, cultural, and intellectual history of modern Egypt, creating a network of connections that extended far beyond Masonic Temples and influenced the formation of Egyptian national identity.
The closure of Masonic Lodges in 1964 ended more than a century and sixty years of organized Freemasonry in Egypt, but its legacy continues to live in various modern Masonic organizations worldwide, especially in the Rites of Memphis-Mizraim, which preserve connection with Egyptian symbolism and philosophy. The legacy of this activity continues to be studied by historians as an important element of the modernization process of the Middle East and the formation of modern political movements in the Arab world. Egyptian Freemasonry left a unique legacy, connecting ancient symbols with modern ideas, East with West, mystical traditions with political aspirations, creating a phenomenon that still attracts researchers’ attention and remains one of the most intriguing pages in the history of the international Masonic movement.
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