In the title complex, [Zn(C48H36N4O4)]·C2H2Cl4, the ZnII ion is located on an inversion centre and in an approximately square-planar coordination environment. The tetra-chloro-ethane solvent lies across an inversion centre at the mid-point of the C - C bond. Porphyrin-porphyrin and porphyrin-solvent contacts are dominated by C - H⋯π and C - H⋯O inter-actions, resulting in the formation of a clathrate-like structure. One benzene ring and its meth-oxy substituent are disordered over two positions, with site occupancies of 0.824 (2) and 0.176 (2). In addition, two symmetry-equivalent Cl atoms of the tetra-chloro-ethane solvent also exhibit positional disorder, with site occupancies of 0.635 (2) and 0.365 (2). © International Union of Crystallography 2007.