Armenian diaspora in the Middle East
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Armenian diaspora in the Middle East |
|---|
| Total population |
|
500,000 - 1,000,000 in the Middle East, many of whom have emigrated |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Jordan, Iran, Lebanon, Syria. Smaller communities exist in other countries |
| Languages |
| Armenian and the official language(s) of the host country |
| Religions |
| Mostly Armenian Apostolic with Catholic and Protestant minorities |
The 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.
[edit] 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,[1] 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.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ (Armenian) Kurdoghlian, Mihran (1996). Badmoutioun Hayots, Volume II. Athens, Greece: Hradaragoutioun Azkayin Oussoumnagan Khorhourti, p. 29-56.
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