The Armenian Community In Cairo

[Dave]

Thursday April 7, 2005

 

The Armenian community in Cairo

 

Although their numbers have dwindled in the last 50 years, Armenians have lived in Egypt since antiquity, and have played key roles in shaping the country’s history.

 

Badr Al Gamali (d.1094), an Armenian by birth, was called to Egypt by the Fatimid Caliph Al Muntasir and given the military command of the Fatimid state. Some centuries later, Boghos Youssufian (1768-1844) was an Armenian banker and businessman who Mohamed Ali chose as his official dragoman and personal friend. Yousssufian’s influence was such that he was often described by European consuls in Egypt as Mohamed Ali’s “minister of foreign affairs.” Then there was Boghos ***** Nubar, who served as Ibrahim *****’s private secretary. He was one of the negotiators of the digging of the Suez Canal, and entered the service of Ismail when the latter became viceroy in 1863. Although not popular with the people, and in and out of favor with rulers, he was widely regarded as the most astute politician of the time.

 

As for Armenian community in Cairo, it grew sizably with an influx of refugees after the Armenian massacres of 1914, reaching 40,000 to 60,000. The community was served by several schools, churches, social clubs and newspapers (most of which are still running today, albeit not at full capacity).

 

Armenian artists and tradesmen left their mark on Cairo’s new downtown and on Egypt’s cultural landscape. While the cartoonist Saroukhan illustrated the jokes of Rose Al Youssef, jeweller Vartan was the place to go to buy one’s wife (or mistress) a precious bauble. Armenians also introduced photography to Egypt, and dominated the field for many decades. The great studios of the 1930s, 40s and 50s—where singers, actors and society belles went to pose for glamorous black and white shots—were run by photographers like Van Leo, Alban, Cavouk and Armand.

 

But much of this came to an end with the 1952 Revolution. The majority of the Armenian community left during1950s, when President Nasser nationalized their land and factories. Today there are about 5,000 Armenians in Cairo. Some of the Armenian schools, churches and social clubs are kept open by dedicated community members and partly funded by the Prelacy of the Armenian Church in Egypt.

 

 

 

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from http://www.cairomagazine.com/?module=displ...787&format=html