 Around 10,000 Lebanese-Armenians marching on April 24, 2006, on the 91st anniversary of the Armenian genocide | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| Core population: 156,000[1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Beirut (Ashrafieh) Mezher Bourj Hammoud Anjar Antelias Zahle Jbeil | |
| Languages | |
| Armenian (Western) · Arabic · French · Turkish[2][3][4][5] | |
| Religion | |
| Armenian Apostolic Church • Armenian Catholic Church • Armenian Evangelical Church |
| Part of a series on |
| Armenians |
|---|
 |
| Armenian culture |
| By country or region |
Armenian diaspora |
| Subgroups |
| Religion |
| Languages and dialects |
|
Armenian: Eastern (Zok) • Western (Homshetsi) Sign languages: Armenian Sign • Caucasian Sign Persian: Armeno-Tat Cuman: Armeno-Kipchak Armenian–Lom: Lomavren |
| Persecution |
Armenians have lived in Lebanon for centuries. According to Minority Rights Group International, there are 156,000[1] Armenians in Lebanon, around 4% of the population. Prior to the Lebanese Civil War, the number was higher, but the community lost a portion of its population to emigration.
Lebanon experienced a significant migration of Armenian refugees primarily between 1918 and 1920, seeking sanctuary from the Armenian genocide carried out by Ottoman authorities. These refugees established Bourj Hammoud, a suburb east of Beirut, in the site of what was then a swampy marshland. Another wave of migration occurred in 1939, as refugees fleeing the Turkish annexation of Alexandretta founded the town of Anjar in the Beqaa region.[6] The Armenian population gradually grew and expanded until Beirut (and Lebanese towns like Anjar) became a center of Armenian culture. The Armenians became one of Lebanon’s most prominent and productive communities.[7]
Armenians in Lebanon strive to balance their Lebanese identity with ties to their homeland, keeping a distance from sectarian divisions. In areas like Bourj Hammoud and the coastal area northeast of Beirut, they maintain Armenian-language media and political parties. While most adhere to the Armenian Apostolic Church, there are also Armenian Protestants and Catholics.[6]
- ^ a b Lebanon Minorities Overview Archived February 22, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Armenians born, raised in Lebanon still have command of Turkish language". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 2022-03-13.
He said that nearly 70% of Armenians in Lebanon can speak Turkish, adding that the new generation also learned Turkish thanks to Turkish soap operas.
- ^ جدلية, Jadaliyya-. "The Legacy of Turkish in the Armenian Diaspora". Jadaliyya – جدلية. Retrieved 2022-03-13.
Turkish was certainly at its strongest among Armenians in the early years of the diaspora, but by no means have the second, third, or fourth generations completely lost touch with the language. Turkish is firmly implanted in the colloquial Western Armenian spoken among descendants of Ottoman Armenians from both Turkish- and Armenian-speaking families. Mixing in Turkish is still so commonplace in conversation that it is a great compliment to be known to speak makour [clean] Armenian.
- ^ "Armenians, Kurds in Lebanon hold on to their languages | Samar Kadi". AW. Retrieved 2022-03-13.
When Armenians first arrived in Lebanon [fleeing genocide in Turkey], they spoke their native language in addition to the Turkish language. Eventually the third generation lost the Turkish, replacing it with Arabic
- ^ "PATTERNS OF LANGUAGE USE AMONG ARMENIANS IN BEIRUT". studylib.net. Retrieved 2022-03-13.
- ^ a b Harris, William W. (2015). Lebanon: A History, 600-2011. Studies in Middle Eastern history. New York, N.Y: Oxford University Press. p. 17. ISBN 978-0-19-518111-1.
- ^ How The Lebanese-Armenian Community Thrived Over Decades, by Hussein Yassine, July 2020