Greetings my Brothers!

This is Eric Morabito, “The Walking Man,” checking back in on Fez Friday.

Syria Shrine

On September 26, 1872, the original 13 members met in New York’s Masonic Hall, 114 East Thirteenth Street, for the purpose of formally organizing the Ancient Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (A.A.O.N.M.S.) for North America. The Shrine was born. (The organization is now known as Shriners International.) The new Shrine was not an immediate success in terms of membership. The spark that was needed to make the Shrine prosper apparently was the formation of the Imperial Council. That first meeting of the Imperial Council was brief, but in addition to the election of officers, it accomplished the establishment of the following temples: Mahammed in New Haven, Conn., Ziyara in Utica, N.Y., Pyramid in Bridgeport, Conn., and Syria in Pittsburgh.

Syria Temple became a reality on May 19, 1877. Officers were elected on May 29, 1877, for a permanent Syria organization. Samuel Harper, the first Potentate of Syria Shrine, was among those selected for roles as Past Potentates on the first Imperial Council. At the February 6, 1877 meeting The Council also voted to present each new Noble with a certificate, specified official jewels and costumes for the respective offices, and required each new temple to select an ancient Arabic or Egyptian name. It was between the late 1880s and the early 1900s that the Shrine enjoyed great membership growth and vigorous program activity. The famous Shriner’s fez was the subject of new legislation in 1915. New regulations prescribed that the red Turkish fez with black tassel be adorned only by the name of the temple and the scimitar and that part of the jewel of the order including the sphinx head and star. In 1913, the directors of the Syria Improvement Association mailed a prospectus outlining plans for a building on the old Schenley Farmland. The ground was broken for the new temple on April 20, 1915, and the cornerstone was laid on June 19. The formal dedication of the great building was a week-long affair, beginning October 23, 1916. The ceremony was held on October 26th. An estimated 40,000 guests attended the various activities. A feature that impressed visitors both then and to this day is the set of the bronze sphinx, two of which guard each portal of the building. A suggestion was made by Potentate Joseph N. Mackrell that an appropriate memorial is erected in memory of Nobles of the temple who served in the Army and Navy during World War l. There had been 529 such members, and their names are inscribed on the sphinx. The unveiling and dedication of the sphinx took place on November 1, 1919. The mosque represented an initial investment of half a million dollars and brought to the famous group of institutional buildings in the Schenley district a distinct new architectural touch. It was recognized as one of the best examples of “exotic revival architecture.” The 3,700 seat Syria Mosque ushered in a grand era of social and ceremonial events, and for nearly 75 years it contributed greatly to Pittsburgh’s cultural life. A movement began in the late 1980s to replace the aging Syria Mosque with a new facility that offered greater amenities to suit the needs of its members and its special events business. The Syria Mosque went up for sale in June of 1989. The building was demolished on August 27, 1991. In October 1994, the Pittsburgh Shrine Center opened its new, 40,000 square foot, $10 million facilities set on 37 acres in Harmar Township, Cheswick, PA. Great effort was spent to retain some of the classic features of the former Mosque, such as the twin sphinxes which guarded the entrance and the immense chandeliers which hung in the auditorium.