The Armenians in Lebanon ( hy, Լիբանանահայեր, translit=Libananahayer; ar, الأرمن في لبنان; french: Arméniens du Liban) are Lebanese citizens of

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...

descent. There has been an Armenian presence in

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...

for centuries. According to

Minority Rights Group International Minority Rights Group International (MRG) is an international human rights organisation founded with the objective of working to secure rights for ethnic, national, religious, linguistic minorities and indigenous peoples around the world. Thei ...

, there are 156,000 Armenians in Lebanon, around 4% of the population. Prior to the

Lebanese Civil War The Lebanese Civil War ( ar, الحرب الأهلية اللبنانية, translit=Al-Ḥarb al-Ahliyyah al-Libnāniyyah) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities a ...

, the number was higher, but the community lost a portion of its population to emigration. After surviving 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 ...

, and initially settling in shanty towns in Lebanon, the Armenian population gradually grew and expanded until Beirut (and Lebanese towns like Anjar) became a center of

Armenian culture The culture of Armenia encompasses many elements that are based on the geography, literature, architecture, dance, and music of the people. Creative arts Literature Literature began in Armenia around 401 A.D. The majority of the literary ...

. The Armenians became one of Lebanon’s most prominent and productive communities.How The Lebanese-Armenian Community Thrived Over Decades, by Hussein Yassine, July 2020
/ref>

History

Armenians first established contact with Lebanon when

Tigranes the Great Tigranes II, more commonly known as Tigranes the Great ( hy, Տիգրան Մեծ, ''Tigran Mets''; grc, Τιγράνης ὁ Μέγας ''Tigránes ho Mégas''; la, Tigranes Magnus) (140 – 55 BC) was King of Armenia under whom the ...

conquered

Phoenicia Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their histor ...

from the

Seleucids The Seleucid Empire (; grc, Βασιλεία τῶν Σελευκιδῶν, ''Basileía tōn Seleukidōn'') was a Greek state in West Asia that existed during the Hellenistic period from 312 BC to 63 BC. The Seleucid Empire was founded by the M ...

and made it part of his short-lived Armenian Empire. When the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...

established its rule over both Armenia and ancient Lebanon, some Roman troops of Armenian origin went there in order to accomplish their duties as Romans. After Armenia converted to Christianity in 301, Armenian pilgrims established contact with Lebanon and its people on their way to

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

; some of whom would settle there. The Catholic Armenians who fled to Lebanon in the declining years of the 17th century may be credited with establishing the first enduring Armenian community in the land.Lebanese Armenians; A Distingtive Community in the Armenian Diaspora and in Lebanese Society, by Scott Abramson, p. 213
/ref> The Maronites further acted on the Armenians' behalf in 1742, when they interceded with the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum The Holy See * The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized ...

to win Papal recognition for the patriarch of the Armenian Catholics. In 1749, the Armenian Catholic Church built a monastery in Bzoummar, where the image of

Our Lady of Bzommar Our Lady of Bzommar is a Marian shrine in Bzommar ( ar, بزمار), Lebanon. Bzommar is situated 36 km northeast of Beirut at an elevation ranging between 920m and 950m above the Mediterranean. It is part of the Caza of Keserwan. Bzoummar ...

is venerated. The monastery is now acknowledged as the oldest extant Armenian monastery in Lebanon. Alongside it was built the patriarchal see for the entire Armenian Catholic Church. In 1890's the Hamidian massacres had produced a trickle of Armenian refugees into Lebanon.

Armenians in Lebanon (1915–1975)

The Armenian presence in Lebanon during the Ottoman period was minimal; however, there was a large influx of Armenians after the

of 1915. Other Armenians inhabited the area of

Karantina La Quarantaine, which is colloquially referred to as Karantina (Arabic: الكرنتينا) and sometimes spelled Quarantina, is a predominantly low-income, mixed-use residential, commercial, and semi-industrial neighborhood in northeastern Beirut ...

(literally "Quarantine", a port-side district in the Lebanese capital of

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

). Later on, a thriving Armenian community was formed in the neighbouring district of

Bourj Hammoud Bourj Hammoud (also spelled Burj Hammud; ar, بُرْجُ حَمُّودٍ; hy, Պուրճ Համուտ) is a town and municipality in Lebanon located north-east of the capital Beirut, in the Matn District, and is part of Greater Beirut. The t ...

. In 1939, after the French ceded the Syrian

territory A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or a ...

of Alexandretta to Turkey, Armenians and other

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words '' Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ ...

from the area moved to the

Bekaa Valley The Beqaa Valley ( ar, links=no, وادي البقاع, ', Lebanese ), also transliterated as Bekaa, Biqâ, and Becaa and known in classical antiquity as Coele-Syria, is a fertile valley in eastern Lebanon. It is Lebanon's most importan ...

. The Armenians were grouped in Anjar, where a community exists to this day. Some of these Armenian refugees had been settled by the

French mandate The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon (french: Mandat pour la Syrie et le Liban; ar, الانتداب الفرنسي على سوريا ولبنان, al-intidāb al-fransi 'ala suriya wa-lubnān) (1923−1946) was a League of Nations mandate fou ...

authorities in camps in the South of Lebanon: El Buss and

Rashidieh The Rashidieh camp is the second most populous Palestinian refugee camp in Lebanon, located on the Mediterranean coast about five kilometres south of the city of Tyre (Sur). Name The name has also been transliterated into Rashidiya, Rashidiy ...

camps in Tyre would later make way for

Palestinian refugees Palestinian refugees are citizens of Mandatory Palestine, and their descendants, who fled or were expelled from their country over the course of the 1947–49 Palestine war (1948 Palestinian exodus) and the Six-Day War (1967 Palestinian exodu ...

. Prior to 1975,

was a thriving center of Armenian culture with varied media production, which was exported to the

Armenian diaspora The Armenian diaspora refers to the communities of Armenians outside Armenia and other locations where Armenians are considered an indigenous population. Since antiquity, Armenians have established communities in many regions throughout the world. ...

Armenians in Lebanon (1975–present)

During the Lebanese Civil War, Armenians, grouped in Bourj Hammoud and Anjar, have been known for their neutrality in the civil war. And while the insecurity and economic dislocation of the war caused Lebanese Armenians to lose much of their number to emigration, the distinctive features and manifold successes of the community yet remain. There are three prominent Armenian political parties in Lebanon: the

Armenian Revolutionary Federation The Armenian Revolutionary Federation ( hy, Հայ Յեղափոխական Դաշնակցութիւն, ՀՅԴ ( classical spelling), abbr. ARF or ARF-D) also known as Dashnaktsutyun (collectively referred to as Dashnaks for short), is an Armenian ...

(also Dashnak or Tashnag),

Social Democrat Hunchakian Party The Social Democrat Hunchakian Party (SDHP) ( hy, Սոցիալ Դեմոկրատ Հնչակյան Կուսակցություն; ՍԴՀԿ, translit=Sots’ial Demokrat Hnch’akyan Kusakts’ut’yun), is the oldest continuously-operating Armenian ...

(Hunchag) and

Armenian Democratic Liberal Party The Armenian Democratic Liberal Party ( hy, Ռամկավար Ազատական Կուսակցութիւն), the Ramgavar Party, (known before 1921 as the Armenakan party) ( hy, Արմենական Կուսակցութիւն), also known by its Ar ...

(Ramgavar Party). They play significant influence in all facets of Armenian life. During the civil war militant organizations, such as

ASALA Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA) was a militant organization active between 1975 and the 1990s whose stated goal was "to compel the Turkish Government to acknowledge publicly its responsibility for the Armenian genocide ...

, became active in Lebanon, and used it as a launching pad for their operations. ASALA was founded in 1975 in Beirut, during the Lebanese Civil War by Hagop Hagopian, pastor Reverend

James Karnusian Rev. James Karnusian (1926 in Beirut, Lebanon – April 8, 1998 in Bern, Switzerland) was a Swiss-Armenian pastor, writer and public activist. Biography A son of Armenian genocide survivors from Musa Ler, Karnusian was born in 1926 in a camp o ...

and

Kevork Ajemian Kevork Vartani Ajemian (''Adjemian'') (in Armenian Գևորգ Աճեմյան, in Western Armenian Գէորգ Աճեմեան) (May 23, 1932 – December 27, 1998) was a prominent Lebanese-Armenian writer, journalist, novelist, theorist and public ac ...

, a prominent contemporary writer, with the help of sympathetic Palestinians.Political Interest Groups
,
Turkey: A Country Study
' ed.

Helen Chapin Metz Helen Chapin Metz (April 12, 1928 – May 13, 2011) was an American editor and Middle East analyst. Life Helen Chapin was born on April 12, 1928, in Peking, China. She was the daughter of diplomat Selden Chapin and Mary Paul Noyes. Her brother, ...

. Washington, D.C.: The Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, 283, 354–355 More than 150,000 Lebanese-Armenians have political representation in 6 seats in the Lebanese Parliament, in addition to one ministerial position. Lebanon was one of the region’s first nations and the first Arab League member to recognize the

. The Armenian bloc of the Lebanese Parliament put forth a resolution, calling for the commemoration of the anniversary of the

; the legislature unanimously approved the resolution on 4 April 1997 In May 2000, the Lebanese Parliament approved a resolution calling for the commemoration of the Genocide’s 82nd anniversary and called on all Lebanese citizens to unite with the Armenian people every April 24 to commemorate it. On 4 August 2020, during the 2020 Beirut explosions, 15 Armenians were killed, more than 250 injured, the Armenian Catholicosate in Antelias suffered great material damage, Armenian churches and the building of

Haigazian University Haigazian University ( hy, Հայկազեան Համալսարան, pronounced ''Haygazyan Hamalsaran''; ar, جامعة هايكازيان) is a higher education institution founded in 1955 in Beirut, Lebanon as Haigazian College. For a brief pe ...

have been damaged.

Armenian neighborhoods

Armenians live in many parts of Lebanon. Historically most Armenians have lived in Beirut and

Matn District Matn ( ar, قضاء المتن, '), sometimes spelled Metn (or preceded by the article El, as in El Matn), is a district ('' qadaa'') in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon, east of the Lebanon's capital Beirut. The district capital is ...

and Anjar in the Bekaa Region. From Beirut proper we can mention grander Ashrafieh: Hadjen (Corniche Nahr), Khalil Badawi, Karm el Zeytoun (Հայաշէն), Rmeil, Gemmayze, Mar Mikhael, Sursock, and Geitawi. Armenians have had strong presence also in other Beirut regions such as Khandaq Ghamik,

Zuqaq al-Blat Zuqaq al-Blat ( ar, زقاق البلاط) is one of the twelve quarters of Beirut. Etymology Zoqaq al-Blat literally means "the cobbled alley", this was a colloquial name given to the street extending from the old city to the Qantari hill and ...

, Zarif, Bab Idris, Sanayeh (Kantari), Clemenceau and Hamra, among others. During the civil war many of these Armenians emigrated or fled to safer regions in Lebanon. From the Beirut suburbs, there are big concentrations in Matn District, particularly Bourj Hammoud, Dora-Amanos, Fanar, Rawda, Jdeide, Zalka, Jal El Dib, Antelias, Mezher (Dzaghgatzor), Naccash, Dbayeh, Awkar and in the regions situated from Antelias to Bikfaya. To the north, there are further Armenian populations scattered in Jounieh, Byblos and Tripoli (particularly the Mina area). Anjar is a place where Armenian populations is predominant. There are Armenian religious centers in Antelias and

Bikfaya Bikfaya ( ar, بكفيا, also spelled Bickfaya, Beckfayya, or Bekfaya) is a town in the Matn District region of Mount Lebanon. Its stone houses with red-tiled roofs resting amidst pine and oak forests make Bikfaya one of the most sought-after su ...

(

Armenian Apostolic Church , native_name_lang = hy , icon = Armenian Apostolic Church logo.svg , icon_width = 100px , icon_alt = , image = Էջմիածնի_Մայր_Տաճար.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , a ...

) and Beirut and

Bzommar Bzoummar ( ar, بزمار; also spelled ''Bzommar'' or ''Bzemmar'') is a village in the Keserwan District of the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate in Lebanon. It is northeast of Beirut, and has an elevation ranging between above sea level. Bzoummar's i ...

(

Armenian Catholic Church , native_name_lang = hy , image = St Elie - St Gregory Armenian Catholic Cathedral.jpg , imagewidth = 260px , alt = , caption = Cathedral of Saint Elias and Saint Gregory the Illuminat ...

). There is an Armenian orphanage in historic sites in Byblos. In the Bekaa, there are Armenians living in

Zahlé Zahlé ( ar, زَحْلة) is the capital and the largest city of Beqaa Governorate, Lebanon. With around 150,000 inhabitants, it is the third-largest city in Lebanon after Beirut and Tripoli and the fourth largest taking the whole urban area ...

and most notably Anjar.

Bourj Hammoud

Bourj Hammoud ( hy, Պուրճ Համուտ, ar, برج حموﺪ) is a suburb in east Beirut, Lebanon in the Metn district. The suburb is heavily populated by Armenians as it is where most survivors of the Armenian genocide settled. Bourj Hammoud is an industrious area and is one of the most densely populated cities in the Middle East. It is divided into seven major regions, namely Dora, Sader, Nahr Beirut, Anbari, Mar Doumet, Naba'a and Gheilan. It is sometimes called "Little Armenia". Bourj Hamoud has a majority Armenian population but also has a notable number of other Lebanese Christians, a considerable Shi'a Muslim population, a Kurdish population, and some Palestinian refugees and newcomer Christian refugees from

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...

. Most streets in Bourj Hammoud are named after various Armenian cities such as

Yerevan Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Yerevan is the administrative, cultural, and i ...

, mountains such as Aragats, and rivers such as

Araks , az, Araz, fa, ارس, tr, Aras The Aras (also known as the Araks, Arax, Araxes, or Araz) is a river in the Caucasus. It rises in eastern Turkey and flows along the borders between Turkey and Armenia, between Turkey and the Nakhchivan excl ...

. A lot of streets are also named after cities and regions in modern-day-Turkey which were heavily populated by Armenians such as

Cilicia Cilicia (); el, Κιλικία, ''Kilikía''; Middle Persian: ''klkyʾy'' (''Klikiyā''); Parthian: ''kylkyʾ'' (''Kilikiyā''); tr, Kilikya). is a geographical region in southern Anatolia in Turkey, extending inland from the northeastern coa ...

Marash Marash (Armenian: Մարաշ), officially Kahramanmaraş () and historically Germanicea (Greek: Γερμανίκεια), is a city in the Mediterranean Region of Turkey and the administrative center of Kahramanmaraş Province. Before 1973, Kahrama ...

, Sis,

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 ...

, etc.

Mezher (Dzaghgatzor)

Mzher (or Dzaghgatzor in Armenian) is a small town located between Antelias and Bsalim, in Matn district. It is a new town, where most of the population is Armenian, along with other Christians. In Mzher the Armenian community has one of the top Armenian schools, Melankton and Haig Arslanian College (Jemaran) and a socio-cultural sport club, Aghpalian. The headquarters of SAHALCO are also situated nearby. Most of the Armenians of Mzher come from Bourj Hamoud, Ashrafieh, Anjar and the other old Armenian quarters.

Anjar

Anjar (, ), also known as Haoush Mousa (), is a town of Lebanon located in the

. The population is about 2,400 consisting almost entirely of Armenians.

Jbeil

Jbeil-Byblos (, ), is a town of Lebanon located in the

Keserwan-Jbeil_Governorate Keserwan-Jbeil ( ar, كسروان - جبيل) is the most recently created governorate of Lebanon. It consists of the districts of Jbeil and Keserwan. Keserwan-Jbeil covers an area of and is bounded by the North Governorate to the north, the B ...

. Armenians in Jbeil count around 200 Armenian family. In Jbeil the Armenian community has the Armenian Community Center () including : A.R.F Hohita Keri Gomide, Armenian Relief Cross Sosse chapter, Lebanese Armenian Youth Federation Ararad chapter, Serop Aghpuir Badanegan Miyoutioun, Birds Nest Orphanage, Sourp gayane Church. an additional 40 Armenian families live in the neighboring city of Batroun.

Politics

Erdoğan's visit to Beirut in November 2010.}) was the first Armenian newspaper in Lebanon renamed ''Nor Pyunik'' ( hy, Նոռ Փիւնիկ). In 1924, the newspaper ''Lipanan'' ( hy, Լիբանան) was published. In 1927, ''Aztag'' replaced ''Nor Punik''.

Press: Dailies

There are three Armenian daily newspapers published in Beirut all mouthpieces of the traditional Armenian political parties (Tashnag, Hunchag and Ramgavar). *''Aztag (daily), Aztag'' ( hy, Ազդակ), a daily newspaper that speaks on behalf of the

– Tashnag and was established in 1927. It also published an online English version and an online Arabic supplement. *'' Ararad'' ( hy, Արարատ), a daily newspaper published by the

– Hunchag Party *'' Zartonk'' ( hy, Զարթօնք), daily newspaper is published by

– Ramgavar and was established in 1937. From the defunct Armenian political newspapers besides ''Pyunik'' in the 1920s, one should mention the independent non-partisan newspaper '' Ayk'' ( hy, Այգ) (after decades of publishing in Armenian, the licence owner Lucie Tosbat sold it to ''Monday Morning'' Publishing Group and ''Ayk'' started publishing as an English-language daily renamed ''

Ike Ike or IKE may refer to: People * Ike (given name), a list of people with the name or nickname * Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969), Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe during World War II and President of the United States Surname ...

'' before folding.) ''Ayk'' daily's Lebanese-Armenian publishers Dikran and Lucie Tosbat also published the French language ''Le Soir''. Special mention should also be made for the Armenian leftist daily newspaper '' Joghovourti Tsayn'' ( hy, Ժողովուրդի Ձայն meaning Voice of the People) which had a short span of publication but remained influential during its span of publication.

Press: Weekly publications and periodicals

Lebanon has a history of periodicals and weekly newspapers in the Armenian language. Notable long-running publications include: *'' Hask'' (Հասկ), official publication of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia (Armenian Apostolic) *''

Avedik ''Avedik'' (in Armenian Աւետիք) is a Lebanese-Armenian publication published by the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate in Lebanon and the official organ of the Armenian Catholic Church worldwide. Licensed as a monthly publication, the relig ...

'' (Աւետիք), official publication of the

*''Yeridasart Hayouhi'' (Երիտասարդ Հայուհի, literary periodical dedicated to women) which was later turned into an independent political biweekly called ''Yeridasart Hay'' (Երիտասարդ Հայ). *''Nor Gyank'' (Նոր Կեանք, meaning New Life) the lifestyle newspaper/magazine *'' Gantch'' (Կանչ), the Armenian Communist weekly (part of Arabic language communist "An Nidaa") *''Khosnag'' (Խօսնակ), the

Armenian General Benevolent Union The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU, Eastern Armenian: Հայկական Բարեգործական Ընդհանուր Միություն, ՀԲԸՄ, ''Haykakan Baregortsakan Endhanur Miutyun'', or hyw, Հայ Բարեգործական Ընդ ...

(AGBU) official publication *''

Pakin ''Pakin'' (or francicized ''Pakine'') (in Armenian Բագին meaning altar in Armenian, full name at establishment Բագին, Ամսագիր Գրականութեան եւ Արուեստի, i.e. ''Pakin, Amsakir Kraganutyan yev Arvesdi'', meaning ...

e'' (Բագին) literary cultural publication *'' Shirak'' (Շիրակ) literary cultural publication *'' Spurk'' (Սփիւռք meaning diaspora) literary and cultural publication *''

Nayiri Nairi ( classical hy, Նայիրի, ''Nayiri'', reformed: Նաիրի, ''Nairi''; , also ''Na-'i-ru'') was the Akkadian name for a region inhabited by a particular group (possibly a confederation or league) of tribal principalities in the Arme ...

'' (Նայիրի) literary and cultural publication *'' Massis'' (Մասիս), Armenian Catholic publication *''Badanegan Artsakank'' (Պատանեկան Արձագանք) Armenian Evangelical / Youth publication

Academic publications

*''Hasg Hayakidagan Hantes'', an annual Armenological publication by the

Holy See of Cilicia The Armenian Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia ( hy, Կաթողիկոսութիւն Հայոց Մեծի Տանն Կիլիկիոյ) is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church. Since 1930, the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilici ...

*''

Haigazian Armenological Review The ''Haigazian Armenological Review'' is an annual academic journal specializing in Armenian studies. It was established in 1970 by the Department of Armenian Studies at Haigazian University and publishes articles on Armenian studies in Armeni ...

'', an annual Armenological publication of

Radio

The Lebanese state radio established very early on daily radio broadcasts in Armenian through its second channel consecrated to broadcasting in languages (mainly French and English). That programming goes on to date on Radio Liban. During the civil war, the Lebanese Armenians established a great number of unlicensed radio stations (some non-stop for 24 hours a day). The pioneer was the popular radio station "Radio Paradise" and later on "Vana Tsayn" (Voice of Van). However, with the Lebanese Parliament enacting laws organizing the airwaves, all the unlicensed stations (alongside the other Lebanese stations) had to close. They were replaced by two operating and fully licensed radio stations operating in Armenian in Lebanon in accordance with the new broadcast laws – "Voice of Van" and "Radio Sevan".

Television

Lebanese private stations and state-owned Tele-Liban have consecrated occasionally television programming in Armenian on certain occasions. During the Lebanese civil war, an Armenian television station "Paradise Television" co-operated with "Radio Paradise" was established through a broadcast tower in Bourj Hammoud. But "Paradise Television" Armenian television station had to close after it failed to get a broadcasting licence according to the new laws organizing the airwaves. Al Mustaqbal Television (also known as

Future Television Future Television ( ar, تلفزيون المستقبل, ''Televiziyon al-Mustaqbal'') was a Lebanese free-to-air television station founded in 1993 by the Future Movement leader Rafik Hariri, a former Prime Minister of Lebanon. Future TV was al ...

) and OTV broadcast daily 30-minutes news and comments in Armenian in their regular programming schedule.

Religion

Officially, there are three Armenian denominations recognized by the government. The Armenians have Armenian Orthodox, Armenian Catholic, or Armenian Evangelical mentioned in their identity cards, in the denomination field. Sometimes, however, there are variations particularly in case of the Armenian Evangelicals, sometimes registered as just Evangelicals or Protestants without mention of Armenian. There are also some Armenian Catholics who are registered under the denomination Latin, sometimes Armenian Latin.

Apostolic (Orthodox) Armenians

The ''Saint Gregory the Illuminator Cathedral'' (1940) at the Antelias_.html" ;"title="Armenian Catholicossate of Cilicia in Antelias ">Armenian Catholicossate of Cilicia in Antelias ''Holy Sign Church'' (Sourp Nshan) in downtown Beirut, in front of the Grand Serail ''Holy Mother of God Church'' (Sourp Asdvadzadzin) at the Armenian Seminary in Bikfaya The

is located in Antelias (a northern suburb of Beirut). It was relocated there in 1930 from Sis (historical Cilicia, now in Turkey) after the Armenian genocide. Alongside the Mother See of Holy

Echmiadzin Vagharshapat ( hy, Վաղարշապատ ) is the 4th-largest city in Armenia and the most populous municipal community of Armavir Province, located about west of the capital Yerevan, and north of the closed Turkish-Armenian border. It is comm ...

located in

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ' ...

, it is one of the two sees of the Armenian Apostolic Church (the national church of Armenians). The Catholicos, the leader of the Holy See of Cilicia, has his summer residence in Bikfaya in the Matn District also north of Beirut. The seminary of the Armenian Apostolic Church is also on site at Bikfaya. The affairs of the Lebanese Armenian Orthodox population however are run by an independent body, the Armenian Prelacy of Lebanon (Aratchnortaran Hayots Lipanani) with its own Armenian Primate of Lebanon Bishop Shahé Panossian as head. The Armenian Apostolic churches in Lebanon include: *The Saint Gregory the Illuminator Mother Cathedral (Sourp Krikor Lousavoritch Mayr Dajar) which serves as the church for the

(Catholicossate of the Great House of Cilicia – In Armenian "Gatoghigosaran Medzi Danen Guiligio" (Antelias, Lebanon). The big complex also contains a memorial chapel dedicated to the victims of the

, an Armenian library, printing presses, Armenian museum and "Veharan", residence of the catholicos of Cilicia and premises for the clergy. *Holy Sign (Saint Nshan) Armenian Orthodox Church (Downtown Beirut) which serves as the church for the Armenian Apostolic Archbishopric of Lebanon and head office of the Armenian Primate of Lebanon. *Saint Hagop Armenian Apostolic Church (Jetawi, Achrafieh, Beirut) *Saint George (Sourp Kevork) Armenian Apostolic Church (Hadjin, Mar Mikhael, Beirut) *Armenian Apostolic Church of the Assumption (Khalil Badaoui, Beirut) *Armenian Apostolic Church of the Assumption (Jounieh, Kesrouan, Lebanon) *Forty Martyrs (Karasoun Manoug) Armenian Apostolic Church (Marash, Bourj Hammoud) *Holy Mother of God (Sourp Asdvadzadzin) Armenian Apostolic Church (Adana, Bourj Hammoud) *Saint Vartan Armenian Apostolic Church (Tiro, Bourj Hammoud) *Saint Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church (Sis, Bourj Hammoud) *Saint Paul (Sourp Boghos) Armenian Apostolic Church (Anjar, Beqaa, Lebanon) *Holy Pentecost Armenian Apostolic Church (Tripoli, North Lebanon) *Holy Mother of God (Sourp Asdvadzadzin) Armenian Apostolic Church – a complex that also includes the Zarehian Tebrevank (both in Bickfaya, Metn) and the commemorative statue of the

Catholic Armenians

''St. Gregory the Illuminator – St. Elie Armenian Catholic Church'', Debbas Square, downtown Beirut Armenian Catholic Church, has its patriarchate in the Lebanese capital Beirut, and represents Armenian Catholics around the world. Armenian Catholic Church also has its summer residence and its convent in Bzoummar, Lebanon. Armenian Catholic churches include: *St. Elie-St. Gregory the Illuminator (Sourp Yeghia – Sourp Krikor Lousavoritch Armenian Catholic Cathedral, (Debbas Square, Downtown Beirut) *Armenian Catholic Church of the Annunciation (Achrafieh, Jetawi, Beirut) – also serving as church for the Armenian Catholic Patriarchal Eparchy. *Armenian Catholic Church and the Convent of Bzoummar (Bzommar, Lebanon) *St. Saviour (Sourp Pergitch) Armenian Catholic Church (Bourj Hammoud) *Holy Cross (Sourp Khatch) Armenian Catholic Church (Zalka) *Our Lady of Fatima Armenian Catholic Church (Hoch el Zaraani, Zahle, Beqaa) *Our Lady of the Rosary Armenian Catholic Church (Anjar, Beqaa)

Evangelical Armenians

Armenian Evangelical Church The Armenian Evangelical Church ( hy, Հայաստանեայց Աւետարանական Եկեղեցի) was established on July 1, 1846, by thirty-seven men and three women in Constantinople. History In the 19th century there was an intellectua ...

, headquartered in

Ashrafieh Achrafieh ( ar, الأشرفية) is an upper-class area in eastern Beirut, Lebanon. In strictly administrative terms, the name refers to a sector (''secteur'') centred on Sassine Square, the highest point in the city, as well as a broader quart ...

. The affairs of the Lebanese Evangelical community is run by the Union of the Union of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the Near East (UAECNE). Major Armenian Evangelical Churches: *First Armenian Evangelical Church (Kantari, Beirut) *Armenian Evangelical Church (Achrafieh, Beirut) *Armenian Evangelical Church (Nor Marash, Bourj Hammoud) *Armenian Evangelical Emmanuel Church (Nor Amanos, Baouchriye) *Armenian Evangelical Church (Anjar, Beqaa) The Armenian Evangelical Church has 5 active youth groups calle
"Chanits"
which is a part of the World's Christian Endeavor Union. Children's, teenagers', and Chanits camps; women's conferences, church retreats, and educational programs take place a
"KCHAG"
which is located just outside Beirut in Mansouriyeh, Matn District. There are also a number of "Brethren" churches of Evangelical orientation ("Yeghpayroutyoun" in

Monuments

Armenian Genocide Monument

File:The Armenian Genocide memorial in Bikfaya.JPG, The Armenian Genocide memorial (1965) in

Bikfaya is home to a commemorative plaque and monumental sculpture, honoring the victims of the 1915 Armenian genocide. Designed by Zaven Khedeshian and renovated by Hovsep Khacherian in 1993, the outdoor, freestanding sculpture rests on top of a hill that is located on the grounds of the summer retreat of the Catholicate of Cilicia. The sculpture is a bronze abstract figure of a woman standing with hands open toward the sky. A plaque with Arabic and Armenian inscriptions reads:

''This monument, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, was erected with the cooperation of the whole Armenian Community in Lebanon, to celebrate the rebirth of the Armenian nation and to express gratitude to our country,
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...
– April 24, 1969''

Members of the Armenian community of Lebanon visit the monument on April 24 every other year. The pilgrimages are alternated with the memorial chapel at the Armenian Catholicossate in Antelias.Monument in Bikfaya, Lebanon
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Sports and Scouts Movements

240px, The Homenetmen Aghpalian Club and Tenjoukian Stadium in Antelias There are three predominantly Armenian sports clubs in Lebanon with a strong tradition in sports as well as Scouting. They are *

Homenetmen Beirut Homenetmen Beirut may refer to: *Homenetmen Beirut (basketball), a Lebanese basketball club *Homenetmen Beirut (football) Homenetmen Sports Association Beirut ( ar, الجمعية الرياضية هومنتمن بيروت; ), or simply Homene ...

also known as HMEM—full name Hay Marmnagertagan Enthanour Miyutioun (Armenian General Union of Physical Culture) *

Homenmen Beirut Homenmen Sports Association Beirut (; ), or simply Homenmen, is a Lebanese-Armenian multi-sports club based in Beirut, Lebanon, section of the pan-Armenian sports and scouting organisation of the same name. Founded in 1921, the football clu ...

also known as HMM—full name Hay Marzagan Miyutioun (Armenian Sports Union) * Antranik Sports Club (of the Armenian Youth Association (AYA) of the Armenian General Benevolent Union AGBU) All of them have various branches distributed in many Lebanese cities throughout the country where there are Lebanese Armenian communities.

Football

The Armenian clubs Homenetmen and

Homenmen Homenmen ( ) is a pan-Armenian sports and Scouting organization established in 1921 in Aleppo, Syria. Its sports include football, basketball, table tennis, cycling, athletics, and many others. It has wide presence in the Armenian diaspora. Hom ...

have important football teams in the official first and second division football leagues in Lebanon, although the membership of the teams is not restricted to ethnic Armenians and will usually include other Lebanese non-Armenian players as well as contracted foreign players, including professional players from Armenia.

has won the Lebanese Football Championship title 7 times in the years: 1944, 1946, 1948, 1951, 1955, 1963 and 1969 and

the Championship title 4 times in 1945, 1954, 1957 and 1961. Overall, both clubs feature in the top 5 of most titles in Lebanese football with Homenetmen Beirut winning seven Lebanese titles and Homenmen 4 titles. Pagramian Sports Club was active with its football program in the 1940s and 1950s until it closure in 1960. In 1969, a new sports club Ararad Sports Association considered as a continuation of Pagramian's sports programme.

Basketball

Armenian clubs Antranik and Homenetmen have prominent basketball teams playing in the official first and second division basketball league in Lebanon, although the membership of the teams is mixed and is not restricted to Armenians and will usually include other Lebanese non-Armenian players as well as contracted foreign players. Many Lebanese Armenians have represented Lebanon in the national team. In women's sports, the Armenian basketball clubs (Homenetmen and Antranik) are traditionally considered as powerhouses in the sport, and both clubs have won the official Lebanese Basketball Championships women title on several occasions. The Armenian club Antranik's Women Basketball team went on to win the pan-Arab club championship titles.

Other Sports

The above-mentioned Lebanese Armenian clubs also have huge influence on many other sports in Lebanon, but most notably in cycling, table tennis (ping pong) and track and fields. Individual Armenians have also excelled, most notably in weightlifting, wrestling and martial arts competitions.

Women Sports

Lebanese Armenians also have great influence in women sports in Lebanon, most notably in basketball, cycling and table tennis. The Armenian basketball clubs of Homenetmen and Antranik have won the official Lebanese Basketball Championships on several occasions. The Armenian club Antranik's Women Basketball team went on to win the pan-Arab championship titles. Homenetmen Antelias' Women Basketball team won the Lebanese championship consecutively twice in 2016 and 2017.

Notable people

Lebanon knows a great number of Armenian notable personalities including politicians

Khatchig Babikian Khatchig Babikian (1924–1999) was a philanthropist, attorney, a Lebanese politician of Armenian origin, and a former member of the Lebanese Parliament (1957–1999) and Lebanese government minister on many occasions as minister of Health, Touri ...

Karim Pakradouni Karim Pakradouni ( ar, كريم بقرادوني hy, Քերիմ Բագրատունի) (born 18 August 1944) is a Lebanese attorney and politician of Armenians in Lebanon, Armenian origin. He was influential in Kataeb Party heading it for some p ...

Hagop Pakradounian Hagop Pakradounian ( hy, Յակոբ Բագրատունեան, ar, هاغوب بقرادونيان), originally Hagop Pakradouni is a Lebanese politician of Armenian descent, and the leader of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation in Lebanon. ...

, and

Vartine Ohanian Vartine Ohanian ( ar, فارتينيه أوهانيان, hy, Վարդինե Օհանյան; born 1 January 1984 in Burj Hammoud, Matn District) is a Lebanese politician of Armenian descent who served as the Lebanese Minister of Youth and Sports ...

, media personalities like Zaven Kouyoumdjian,

Paula Yacoubian Paulette Siragan Yaghobian (; ; born 4 April 1976) is a Lebanese journalist, television host and politician. She worked as a host in a number of Lebanese and pan-Arab international television stations. Known for the transformational impact she's ...

, Nshan Der Haroutioutian, and Mariam Nour, sportsmen like

Gretta Taslakian Gretta Taslakian (born 16 August 1985) is a Lebanese sprinter of Armenian descent who specializes in the 200 metres. She is the first Lebanese woman to participate in two and three Olympic Games. Gretta is the current Lebanese national record h ...

and

Wartan Ghazarian Vardan Martun Ghazaryan (; ; born 1 December 1969) is a Association football, football coach and former player. Born in Armenia, Ghazaryan moved to Lebanon and obtained Lebanese nationality law, citizenship through naturalisation in 1994. He pl ...

, and artists like

Paul Guiragossian Paul Guiragossian (; 1926 – November 20, 1993) was an Armenian Lebanese painter. Biography Born to Armenian parents, who were survivors of the Armenian genocide, Paul Guiragossian experienced the consequences of exile from a very tender age. ...

Pierre Chammassian Pierre Chammassian (born in Bourj Hammoud on 9 March 1949, Beirut, Lebanon) is a Lebanese-Armenian comedian, actor and stand-up comic, popular in Lebanon with Arabs and Armenians, as well as in the Armenian Diaspora. Career Chammassian regularl ...

Serj Tankian Serj Tankian (born August 21, 1967) is an Armenian-American singer, musician, songwriter, political activist and entrepreneur. He is best known as the lead vocalist, primary lyricist, keyboardist, and occasional rhythm guitarist of heavy metal ...

, Ara Malikian, John Dolmaian, Lazzaro (producer)
C-rouge

Sources

''CIA World Factbook, 2007''

References

Ethnic groups in Lebanon Middle Eastern diaspora in Lebanon