The Armenian school in
Larnaca
Larnaca ( el, Λάρνακα ; tr, Larnaka) is a city on the south east coast of Cyprus and the capital of the district of the same name. It is the third-largest city in the country, after Nicosia and Limassol, with a metro population of 1 ...
, as of 1972 called "Nareg", after Saint
Krikor Naregatsi, is located on 21, Armenian church street in central Larnaca, next to the
Sourp Stepanos church. The current building was built between 1993-1995 by the Technical Services of the Ministry of Education and was inaugurated on 18 May 1996 by the then President of Cyprus
Glafcos Clerides
Glafcos Ioannou Clerides ( el, Γλαύκος Ιωάννου Κληρίδης; 24 April 1919 – 15 November 2013) was a Cypriot politician and barrister who served as the fourth president of Cyprus from 1993 to 2003. At the time of his death, ...
.
Currently, the school has about 25 students. As all other Nareg Schools (
Nicosia, Larnaca,
Limassol
Limassol (; el, Λεμεσός, Lemesós ; tr, Limasol or ) is a city on the southern coast of Cyprus and capital of the district with the same name. Limassol is the second largest urban area in Cyprus after Nicosia, with an urban population ...
), it is under a single principal, as of 2009 Vera Tahmazian, and under the tutelage of the Nareg Armenian Schools Committee.
The first Armenian school in Larnaca operated in 1909 by Rebecca Gomidassian. Soon, the
Adana
Adana (; ; ) is a major city in southern Turkey. It is situated on the Seyhan River, inland from the Mediterranean Sea. The administrative seat of Adana province, it has a population of 2.26 million.
Adana lies in the heart of Cilicia, wh ...
Bishop, Moushegh Seropian, donated funds for the construction of a small school building, thus the school was called "Mousheghian" National School. In 1917 Miss Hanemie Eramian donated funds for the construction of another room, next to the church. The large influx of refugee survivors of the
Armenian genocide
The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily through t ...
made imperative the use of a larger building. So, in 1923 the "Armenian National School" was built by the Adana Educational Association, while in 1926 another floor was added with the generous contribution of Garabed Melkonian, one of the founders of the
Melkonian Educational Institute
The Melkonian Educational Institute (MEI) ( hy, Մելգոնեան Կրթական Հաստատութիւն (ՄԿՀ)) was an Armenian boarding school of high academic standard located in Nicosia, Cyprus.
Established in 1926 by the Melkonian bro ...
. The old school premises provided shelter for some of the
Lebanese-Armenian
The Armenians in Lebanon ( hy, Լիբանանահայեր, translit=Libananahayer; ar, الأرمن في لبنان; french: Arméniens du Liban) are Lebanese citizens of Armenian descent. There has been an Armenian presence in Lebanon for centur ...
refugees, who came to Cyprus between 1975-1990.
References
{{coord missing, Cyprus
Armenian diaspora in Cyprus
High schools and secondary schools in Cyprus
Armenian schools