Armenians in Egypt recount rich history: egyptindependent.com

YEREVAN, JUNE 27, ARMENPRESS: Armenians made many important historical contributions to Egyptian society, “egyptindependent.com” writes, according to Armenpress.

Ottoman-era Khedive Mohamed Ali hired them as diplomats, commercial agents and technicians. Armenians and other Ottoman citizens flocked to Egypt for opportunities under the ambitious new ruler, “egyptindependent.com” writes.

“Egypt was like the Gulf is today as far as traveling there to work,” says Thomas Zakarian, a teacher in Heliopolis’ Nubarian School.

The reign of Mohamed Ali was not a unique chapter of diversity in Egyptian history. Like the Ottoman period, the Fatimid and Mamluk eras involved significant contributions of foreign peoples. Armenians were builders of Bab Zuweila and seamstresses of the Kiswah (the Kaaba’s covering), court photographers for Mohamed Ali and jewelers to King Farouk. Today, they are a tight-knit community, integrated into the fabric of Egypt.

Under Ali’s auspices, Armenians founded colleges of accounting, engineering and translation during the mid-19th century. Mastery of Ottoman Turkish and European languages made Armenians suitable intermediaries to the West and favored by Ali as chief translators, the magazine reads.