Ethiopian Armenians

Armenians in Ethiopia refers to ethnic Armenians living in Ethiopia. The Armenian community is very small indeed.

The Armenians live mainly in the capital Adis Ababa.

Religion

The Armenian presence in Ethiopia is historic. On a religious basis, the Ethiopian Church and the Armenian Apsotolic Church are both members of the Oriental Orthodoxy communion of churches alongside Coptic Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox, Eritrean Orthodox and Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (India) churches.

The Armenian inhabitants in Ethiopia are Armenian Apostolics (Orthodox Armenians) belonging to the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The Armenian Aposolic (Orthodox) have their own church, Sourp Kevork (St. George) Armenian Apostolic Church in Adis Ababa.

The first-ever pastor of the Armenian community was Rev. Hovhannes Guevherian.

History

Besides the obvious religious affiliation, there is also the story of the Arba Lijoch children coming to Ethiopia after the Armenian Genocide. "Arba Lijoch" were a group of 40 Armenian orphans who had escaped from the atrocities in Turkey, and were afterwards adopted by Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, then Crown Prince Ras Tafari. He had met them while visiting the Armenian monastery in Jerusalem. They impressed him so much that he obtained permission from the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem to adopt and bring them to Ethiopia, where he then arranged for them to receive musical instruction.

The Arba Lijoch arrived in Addis Ababa in 1924, and along with their bandleader Kevork Nalbandian became the first official orchestra of the nation. Nalbandian also composed the music for "Marsh Teferi" (words by Yoftehé Negusé), which was the Imperial National Anthem from 1930 to 1974.