[Objective] Mesoporous materials have attracted more attention for their wonderful structures and properties. [Methods] Ordered mesoporous titanium dioxide has been prepared by sol-gel method. The roles of the titanium source and organic solvent affecting the synthesis have been studied. [Results] The results indicate that the as-made mesoporous TiO₂ using TiO₂ sol as the titanium source has good crystallization of the anatase, different from the amorphous product using C₁₆H₃₆O₄Ti as the Ti source. Adopting TiO₂ sol as the titanium source, the as-made TiO₂ nano-materials have bigger pore size and BET surface area than the C₁₆H₃₆O₄Ti-made mesoporous TiO₂. It also possesses good optical properties. [Conclusions] The crystallites of anatase with mesoporous structure will be a significant achievement regarding the possible optical applications of these mesoporous TiO₂ solids.