Mesoporous carbons (MCs) with a high surface area (LIP to 900 m(2)/g), large pore volume (up to 2.1 cm(3)/g) high mesopore ratio (94%), and high yield (70%) were successfully prepared front an AR mesophase pitch, using a commercially nanosized silica template. The removal of the template provided some larger mesopores of 25-50 nm (pore I) with a surface area of ca. 300 m(2)/g, while the successive carbonization opened the closed pores within the carbon body to give smaller mesopores of 2-10 nm (pore II) with a similar Surface at-ea. During the carbonization of pitch precursor, the evaporation of volatile components swells the carbon to introduce the second mesopores among the domains and even microdomain units because of their rearrangements and overlappings in the process. The addition of iron salt with the silica template resulted in a remarkable increase of the surface area (ca. 300 m(2)/g) by introducing mesopores of 3-5 nm. The resultant maintained some graphitizable natures derived from the an isotropic precursor. Their graphitization at 2400 degrees C provided the graphitic structure with large surface areas (270-460 m(2)/g)and mesoporosity.