ARMENIANS ALWAYS PLAYED BIG ROLE IN THE LIFE OF EGYPT

/PanARMENIAN.Net/
25.12.2009 15:59 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The first groups of Armenians left Egypt in the
1950s when the country came to be governed by Gamal Abdel Nasser.

Afraid of the new leader’s nationalization policy, most Armenians
had to cross the ocean and settle in other countries. Till 1952,
there was an estimated 60 thousand Armenian population living in the
towns of Cairo and Alexandria, representatives of Egyptian-Armenian
community told a PanARMENIAN.Net correspondent.

As noted by Armenian Ambassador to Egypt Armen Melkonyan, Armenians
always played a big role in the country’s social-political and cultural
life. "Outstanding personalities such as painter Hakob Hakobyan and
actress Siranush were from Cairo. Besides, the country’s first Prime
Minister – Nubar Nubaryan Pasha – was also Armenian," he said.

According to Bishop Ashot Mnatsakanyan, the leader of Egyptian prelacy,
Armenians have always played crucial role in Islamic states (Lebanon,
Syria, Jordan, Iran and even Turkey. "Unfortunately, the community
has now grown smaller. The total number of Armenians is 2000, but we
lead quite an active life. We are now planning to restore the ancient
Armenian church on the outskirts of the Old Town," Bishop said.