The term Levantines , of Raising, area where the sun rises, Machrek in Arabic, indicated in French (and Italian, Levantini ) as from the 16th century the whole of the inhabitants of the Middle East. Thus, in the fable of the Fountain the Rat which had withdrawn itself from the world :

" Levantines in their legend

Disent that a certain Rat tired of the care of ici-bas,

In a cheese of Holland

withdrew itself far from the tracas."

At the 19th century and in first half of the 20th century, this term was especially used to designate residents of the Ottoman Empire and its States successors, European or mixed ascents various. For the majority roman catholics (“Latin”) or uniates, but also sometimes Protestant, the Levantins was amenable to various catholic States or Protestants (France, Italy, Austria-Hungary, England, etc), or had become it in order to profit from the advantages codified in the Capitulations. The site of the Embassy of France with Ankara reduces the definition of the Levantines to the French installed in the Ottoman Empire.

Some Levantins however had preserved Othoman nationality, thus, at the end of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century, several governors of the autonomous province of Mount-Lebanon, who were obligatorily to be Christian Othoman subjects, were Levantines melkites of Alep (Syria), of the Franco family.

In Egypt of the 19th century, the Levantins term designated the residents Syrian, Greek, Armenian and different, neither autochtones, nor Turkish (: 12000), nor Europeans (: 7000), nor slaves, there was approximately: 10000 in the middle of the century on: 2891000 inhabitants (Close-Bey, 1838).

There existed in the scales Raising, the port cities of the Eastern Mediterranean, a language of communication common to the Levantines and the sailors and merchants of all nationalities, the Lingua franca , the " language franque" containing Spanish and of Italian, with elements of Arab, Persan and Turkish.

Like the dictionary of the French Academy specifies it, this term “was sometimes used with a pejorative intention, by allusion to the skill in businesses lent to Eastern”.

For the Levantines , inhabitants of the East of Spain (" Levant"), to see the autonomous Community of Valence and the autonomous Community of Murcie. The term designates also the fans of the Valencian football team, Levante Unión Deportiva ().

Smyrna and francophile community of the Levantines

Edouard Balladur, former French Prime Minister is resulting from this community smyrniote. In his clan, one speaks French and one Marie only between catholics (even if the spouse is foreign). The general vicar of the archbishop's palace of Smyrna was dom Emmanuel Balladur, disappeared in 1847. Pierre Balladur, father of Edouard, will be thus one of the directors, with Constantinople, of the Othoman Bank, become today an international trust, but which manages the capital of the western powers then, and their contractors in the East. The establishment, missing first once, then gone up on its bases was rested by some families Levantines (of which Glavany, from which Jean Glavany is resulting, former minister).

In Smyrna, at least of 1900 to 1905, there were no only Levantines of stock. Thus, Augustin Gindorff, mining engineer, were Belgian and catholic. It was during the aforesaid years director of the Othoman Company of water in Smyrna.

In 1996, the number of Smyrniotes French-speaking people was evaluated with approximately 200 people, generally profiting from the dual nationality. Two colleges Turkish ensure of the entirely French-speaking courses. With Smyrna, there remains only some rare and old picturesque residences Levantines, the church of the Armenian district, Sainte-Hélène and the cathedral St Polycarpe. There remain also some words, to indicate the cornice which overhangs the sea, one still says the " cordon" rather than a Turkish term.

Quotations

• Onnik Jamgocyan, author of a thesis on the bankers Levantines: They were known to be diplomats, skilful in businesses. They had the direction of the word given. They could lend themselves until million between them without never signing least paper. All put back on the confiance.

• a Turkish journalist: they were members of a microcosm closed on itself, never not making the effort be integrated into the company where they lived (…). Thanks to the passport of their fatherland where they never put the feet they behaved with the greatest arrogance, as Masters of our ports.
• Henri Morgenthau, ambassador of the the United States to Constantinople before and during the First World War: approximately 3000 British and French citizens resided at Constantinople. The majority belonged to the class, known under the name of Levantins; almost all had been born in Turkey, and in many cases, their families were established in this country since two or several generations. The conservation of their rights of European citizens constitutes, so to speak, their single bond with the nation from which they result. It is not rare to meet in the Turkish main cities of the men and the women, who are of race and nationality British, but do not speak English, French being the usual language of the Levantines. The majority never put the foot in England or in another European region; they do not have that a residence: Turquie.

Personalities Levantines or of origin Levantine

• Edouard Balladur, family Levantine smyrniote of Armenian origin of Iran;

• Jean Glavany, Othoman Levantine family of catholic Greek origin of Tap-holes;
• Antonin Artaud, by his/her mother, Euphrasie Nalpas, of a Levantine family of Anglo-Norman origin, installed in Smyrna at the time of the fourth crusade, and which one finds the trace in England at the 12th century;
• Nubar Pasha, Egyptian statesman, family Levantine smyrniote of Armenian origin, emigrated in Egypt;
• Daniel Filipacchi, family Levantine smyrniote of Italian origin;
• Stephan Collaro, family Levantine smyrniote of Italian origin.

Levantines in the literature

• Volpone, in the homonymous part (1605) of Ben Jonson, several times adapted by other authors so much to the theater (Stefan Zweig, Jules Romains), that with the cinema (Maurice Tourneur in 1941, Pierre Sabbagh in 1978), is a commercial established Levantine with Venice.

Levantines in the trade

• Enzo Dirlik

Order Levantine

The first alphabetical order, in particular in the Alphabet phenician and those which results from this, is qualified of order Levantine . One distinguishes this order in the Arab Langue from the current alphabetical order.