The Divan Club was a short-lived dining club

Dining club

A dining club is a social group, usually requiring membership , which meets for dinners and discussion on a regular basis. They may also often have guest speakers...

 in 18th century England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, with membership open to gentlemen who had visited the Ottoman Empire

Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...

. The club took its name from the Turkish

Turkish language

Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...

 "divan

Divan

A divan was a high governmental body in a number of Islamic states, or its chief official .-Etymology:...

".

The club was founded in 1744 by John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich

John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich

John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, PC, FRS was a British statesman who succeeded his grandfather, Edward Montagu, 3rd Earl of Sandwich, as the Earl of Sandwich in 1729, at the age of ten...

 and Sir Francis Dashwood, who was also a leading member of the Dilettante Society

Dilettante Society

The Dilettante Society or Dilettanti is a society of noblemen and scholars which sponsors the study of ancient Greek and Roman art, and the creation of new work in the style.-History:...

. Members met to dine and relate experiences in the east. Its members included distinguished travellers, who made important contributions to travel writing and knowledge of culture and art in the region controlled by the Ottoman Empire. "The Harem" as a regular club toast

Toast

Toast is bread that has been browned by exposure to radiant heat. This browning reaction is known as the Maillard reaction. Toasting warms the bread and makes it firmer, so it holds toppings more securely...

. The club lasted for only two years, ending in 1746, when Dashwood founded the Hellfire Club

Hellfire Club

The Hellfire Club was a name for several exclusive clubs for high society rakes established in Britain and Ireland in the 18th century, and was more formally or cautiously known as the "Order of the Friars of St. Francis of Wycombe"...

.

Article on Divan Club by Dr. Rachel Finnegan: The Divan Club, 1744-46
Published in: Electronic Journal of Oriental Studies 2006