Armenian diaspora in the Middle East

ethnic group
group=Armenian diaspora in the Middle East
poptime=500,000 - 1,000,000 in the Middle East, many of whom have emigrated
popplace= Jordan, Iran, Lebanon, Syria. Smaller communities exist in other countries
rels=Mostly Armenian Apostolic with Catholic and Protestant minorities
langs=Armenian and the official language(s) of the host countryThe Armenian diaspora in the Middle East is mostly concentrated in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iran, although well established communities exist in Iraq, Egypt, and other countries of the area. The Armenians of the Middle East speak the western dialect of the Armenian language (except those of Iran) and the majority are adherents of the Armenian Apostolic Church, with smaller Catholic and Protestant minorities. There is a sizable Armenian population in the thousands in Israel and the Palestinian territories, especially the Armenian Quarter in Jerusalem with a history that goes back 2,000 years. Armenians in Lebanon have the most freedoms, compared to other regions in the area that have large number of Armenians.

History

Armenians have always kept a certain political, social, and economic contact with the Middle East.

The Armenian royalty had always kept close contact with neigbhouring Persia.In the 1st century B.C., Tigranes the Great, the King of Kings of the Armenian Empire, ruled over a significant part of the region.

During the Middle Ages, Armenians established a new kingdom in Cilicia, which despite its strong European influence, not unlike Cyprus, was often considered as being part of the Levant, thus in the Middle East. There were Armenian communities (in the form of well-established quarters in major cities) in the Edessa region, Northern Syria, Jerusalem, Egypt, and have played a direct role in many key events, such as the Crusades.

Armenians also had a presence in northern Persia/Iran. However their presence strengthened in 1604-1605, when Shah Abbas of the Safavid Empire deported 250,000-300,000 Armenians to Persia. The Armenians, notably those of Iran, were recognized as being astute businessmen and were renowned throughout the World.

During the Ottoman period, the Levantine Armenian communities had diminished in number because of previous conflicts, such as the Mamluk invasion of Cilicia,hy icon cite book | last = Kurdoghlian | first = Mihran | title = Badmoutioun Hayots, Volume II | publisher = Hradaragoutioun Azkayin Oussoumnagan Khorhourti |date= 1996 | location = Athens, Greece | pages = p. 29-56] Tamerlane's invasion of Syria, and so on.

Most Armenians forcefully came to the Levant and Mesopotamia(Known today as Iraq) during the Armenian genocide, during which 1.5 million Armenians perished. They've lived through and were forced to participate in many conflicts, such as the Arab-Israeli Wars, the Lebanese Civil War, and under Saddam Hussein in the Iran-Iraq war during the 1980's and the first Gulf War of 1990-91.

Because of political turmoil and tension in the region (such as the Lebanese Civil War and the Islamic Revolution), many Middle Eastern Armenians have emigrated to the Western Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia and the Gulf countries. Although a good quantity have left the region, they never have lost their foothold in the Orient.

Armenian Diaspora Pages related to the Middle East

Wikipedia already has quite developed pages on Armenian communities in Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Iraq and Kuwait and more elementary pages on the relatively newly-established Armenian communities in the Gulf, like the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain. You are welcome to edit and add more information on any of these pages.

The present pages on Armenians of the Middle East and the Arab World:

Bahrain

Cyprus

Egypt

Iran

Kuwait

Lebanon

Qatar

udan

yria

United Arab Emirates

ee also

* History of the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire

References