Short history and background of NGLAZ

Following the establishment of the Turkish speaking Lodge - NUR 2000, in Washington in year 2000, it was decided to use this Lodge as a base to develop the ground work for creating Freemasonry in the Republic of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan was part of the Soviet Union in the previous years and following the collapse of the Soviet Union, it became an independent Republic. Azerbaijan is located in the Caucasus, is a European country with membership to the UN, Council of Europe, OSCE (as well as other international organizations). Its language is Azerbaijani (from the Turkic language family).

The project to establish “Freemasonry” in Azerbaijan started with the creation of Azerbaijan Lodge No.2001 in Washington DC. The following year, The Grand Lodge of Washington DC invited the Grand Lodge of Russia to join this Project and in 2002, together, they created the Drughba (friendship) Lodge No. 24 in Moscow. In 2003, as a result of very close relationship with the Grand Lodge of Turkey through NUR 2000 Lodge, the Grand Lodge of Washington DC, decided to invite also the Grand Lodge of Turkey to join this Project, and the Khazar Lodge No. 1000 was chartered by MWB Demir Savaşcı in Ankara.

Most of the preparatory work was done by the Azerbaijan Lodge in Washington DC during through the years 2001 to 2008, and through many visits to Baku and meeting with authorities there and explaining the merits of Freemasonry, finally in 2008, green light was given to go ahead. Following this development, the Grand Lodge of Washington DC created Baku Lodge No. 2008 to work locally in Baku and organize the preparation for the creation of the Grand Lodge in Azerbaijan. On December 5th, 2008, a joint meeting of the Grand Masters and Grand Secretaries of; The Grand Lodge of Washington DC, The Grand Lodge of Russia and The Grand Lodge of Turkey, with the presence of MWB Robert B Heyat - the founder of the Project - convened in Paris during the annual communication of Grande Loge Nationale Francaise for the specific purpose of chartering the new National Grand Lodge of Azerbaijan.

At the completion of the meeting, the charter was signed and issued and it was agreed to have the consecration the following week - on December 9th in Baku, Azerbaijan. On December 9th, 2008, the organizational meeting of the National Grand Lodge of Azerbaijan convened in Baku and MWB Robert B Heyat was installed as the Charter GM Ad Vitam - the first Grand Master; by the Grand Masters of Russia and Washington DC. Following his installation, MWB Robert B Heyat installed his Grand Lodge officers. The next day, on December 10th, in the second meeting of the National Grand Lodge of Azerbaijan, new charters were issued to the founding lodges and their Worshipful Masters and officers were installed by the Grand Master.

At present, and following our recent elections on July 7, 2023, a new college of Grand Officers was elected.

The new Grand Master MW bro. Emil M. HASANOV was one of the first Masons, and it took him 15 years to go through many positions in the Lodge and after that in the Grand Lodge, including the positions of Grand Stewart, Grand Wardens, Assistant Grand Secretary and then Grand Secretary, Assistant Grand Master and Deputy Grand Master, before being elected as the Grand Master.