Zeolites with intracrystal mesopores have been paid much attention recently due to the combination of the advantages of mesoporous materials and zeolite crystals. This review describes the synthetic routes for preparation of mesoporous zeolites by various templates including nanostructured carbons, mesoscale cationic polymers, mesoscate organosilanes, and nanosized inorganic materials. The interaction between these mesoscate templates with silica or aluminosilicate species in the starting gets has been discussed. Furthermore, the excellent catalytic properties over these mesoporous zeolites are systemically summarized. (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier Ltd.