Armenians in Egypt
The number of Armenians in Egypt has decreased due to migrations to other countries and integration into the rest of Egyptian society, including extensive intermarriage with Muslims and Christians.
Islamized Armenians under Arab rule had visible military and government positions, such as governors, generals and viziers (and the more notable individuals are listed by name further below).
Their numbers increased considerably as more migrants arrived from Syria and Palestine, fleeing the advance of the Seljuks westward during the second half of the 10th century.
At the beginning of the 14th century, a schism occurred in the Armenian church, which caused Patriarch Sargis of Jerusalem to request and obtain a firman from the Sultan Al-Malik Al-Nasir.
Many prominent Armenians of that period, including Komitas, Andranik and Martiros Sarian visited Egypt.
They increased to reach its peak in 1927 census data where their total number was 17,188 inhabitants most of whom were concentrated in Cairo and Alexandria.
Over 80% of the adult Armenian population in Egypt worked as skilled craftsmen or in administrative positions, wholesale, retail and services.
A very small number of Armenians, only around 5 per cent, worked as unskilled laborers; even fewer were landowners or farmers.
[7] After the 1952 revolution led by Gamal Abdel Nasser many Armenians began to emigrate to Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia.
1956 saw the introduction of what are called the “Socialist Laws” in Egypt and the nationalization of many economic sectors under the Nasser regime.
Many migrants concluded – mistakenly or correctly – that they were threatened by the new policies of the Nasser regime and many left Egypt and migrated to the West.
[1] Today structures such as clubs, schools, and sports facilities reinforce communications among Armenian Egyptians and revive the heritage of their forefathers.
The Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Egypt, which is under the jurisdiction of Holy Etchmiadzin, is the primary guardian of community assets such as endowments, real estate in the form of agricultural land, and other property bequeathed by generations of philanthropists.
Today, in Egypt, there are two daily papers and one weekly publication, all affiliated to Armenian political parties.
In 1854, the school was moved to Darb Al-Geneina and the name was changed to Khorenian, after the Armenian historian Movses Khorenatsi.
In 1907, he founded the Kalousdian Armenian School and kindergarten on Galaa Street (downtown Cairo), which is currently defunct.
The Armenian Apostolic churches include: The Prelacy of the Armenian Church in Egypt, which is under the jurisdiction of See of Holy Echmiadzin, is the primary guardian of community assets such as endowments, real estate in the form of agricultural land and other property bequeathed by generations of philanthropists.
Alexander Saroukhan is considered one of the prominent caricaturists who set the standards for the art of caricature in the Arab World.
[10] According to the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) in Egypt, Armenouhi Jamgotchian born on the 15th of June 1927 had started real beginning as a mature Armeno-Egyptian Artist in 1974.
[11] Because of a rise of nationalism and pan-Arabism joined with confiscation of civil rights and economic freedoms, many Egyptians of Armenian descent decided in the late 1950s and during the 1960s to leave the country in many thousands to Europe and the Americas (United States, Canada, Latin America) and Australia.
