This is a list of some famous Armenians in

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

Politics and military

Sarkis Assadourian Sarkis Assadourian (born January 25, 1948) is a Canadian politician from the Liberal Party of Canada. He became the first Armenian-Canadian to be elected to the House of Commons, with great support of the Armenian community of Toronto. Backgro ...

(born 1948, Aleppo), former member of Canadian Parliament *

Samuel Der-Yeghiayan Samuel Der-Yeghiayan (born February 16, 1952) is a former United States District Court Judge of the Northern District of Illinois. He was appointed in 2003. Der-Yeghiayan is noteworthy as being the first Armenian immigrant U.S. District Court Ju ...

(born 1952, Aleppo),

United States federal judge In the United States, federal judges are judges who serve on courts established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. They include the chief justice and the associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, the circuit judges of the U.S ...

, noteworthy for being the first Armenian immigrant to become a federal judge in the United States * Varoujan Garabedian (born 1954,

Qamishli Qamishli ( ar, ٱلْقَامِشْلِي, Al-Qāmišlī, ku, قامشلۆ, Qamişlo, syc, ܒܝܬ ܙܠܝ̈ܢ, Bēṯ Zālīn, lit=House of Reeds or syr, ܩܡܫܠܐ, translit=Qamishlo)

), former member of the

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 ...

, linked with the 1983 Orly Airport attack * Jacobo Harrotian (fl. 19th century,

Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...

– 1929

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

General officer A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED ...

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 ''O ...

n descent who participated in the

Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution ( es, Revolución Mexicana) was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from approximately 1910 to 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It resulted in the destruction ...

Garo Kahkejian Garo Kahkejian ( hy, Կարօ Քահքէճեան Armenian_orthography_reform.html" ;"title="nowiki/> reformed_orthography:_Կարո_Քահքեջյան.html" ;"title="Armenian orthography reform">reformed orthography: Կարո Քահքեջյան"> ...

(1963, Aleppo – 1993, Magauz near

Martakert Martakert ( hy, Մարտակերտ, also , ) or Aghdara ( az, Ağdərə ) is a town ''de facto'' in the breakaway Republic of Artsakh as the administrative capital of its Martakert Province, ''de jure'' in the Tartar District of Azerbaijan, i ...

), Armenian military commander and participant of the

First Nagorno-Karabakh War The First Nagorno-Karabakh War, referred to in Armenia as the Artsakh Liberation War ( hy, Արցախյան ազատամարտ, Artsakhyan azatamart) was an ethnic conflict, ethnic and territorial conflict that took place from February 1988 t ...

, buried in the Yerablur Pantheon * Aram Karamanoukian (1910–1996), lieutenant-general of the Syrian army * Hrant Maloyan (1896–1978), General Commander of the Internal Security Forces in Syria *

Vartan Oskanian Vartan Minasi Oskanian ( hy, Վարդան Մինասի Օսկանյան; born February 7, 1954) is the former Foreign Minister of Armenia (1998–2008) and founder of the Civilitas Foundation. Early life and career Born into a wealthy Armenian ...

(born 1954, Aleppo), Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia 1998– 008 *

Sarkis Soghanalian Sarkis Garabet Soghanalian ( hy, Սարգիս Սողանալեան; February 6, 1929 – October 5, 2011), nicknamed the Merchant of Death, was a Syrian- Lebanese-Armenian international private arms dealer who gained fame for being the " Cold War ...

(1929, Alexandretta – 2011, Hialeah,

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

), Lebanese-American international private arms dealer from Syria, nicknamed ''The Merchant of Death'' * Levon Ter-Petrossian (1946, Aleppo),

President of Armenia The president of Armenia ( hy, Հայաստանի Նախագահ, Hayastani Nakhagah) is the head of state and the guarantor of independence and territorial integrity of Armenia elected to a single seven-year term by the National Assembly of Arm ...

1991–1998

Religion

Karekin I Karekin I (Armenian: ) (August 27, 1932 – June 29, 1999) served as the Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church between 1994 and 1999. Previously, he served as the Catholicos of Cilicia from 1983 to 1994 as Karekin II (Armenian: ). Be ...

Sarkissian (1932, Kesab – 1999,

Vagharshapat 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 c ...

catholicos of All Armenians The Catholicos of All Armenians (plural Catholicoi) ( hy, Ամենայն Հայոց Կաթողիկոս; see #Other names), is the chief bishop and spiritual leader of Armenia's national church, the Armenian Apostolic Church, and the worldwide Arme ...

1994–1999, and catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia 1983–1994 as Karekin II * Zareh I Payaslian (1915, Marash – 1963,

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 ...

catholicos Catholicos, plural Catholicoi, is a title used for the head of certain churches in some Eastern Christian traditions. The title implies autocephaly and in some cases it is the title of the head of an autonomous church. The word comes from ancient ...

of the Great House of Cilicia 1956–1963; served as Primate of Aleppo 1943–1956

Literature, history and journalism

* Garnik Addarian (1925, Aleppo – 1986, Beirut), Armenian Diasporan poet *

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 a ...

(1932,

Manbij Manbij ( ar, مَنْبِج, Manbiǧ, ku, مەنبج, Minbic, tr, Münbiç, Menbic, or Menbiç) is a city in the northeast of Aleppo Governorate in northern Syria, 30 kilometers (19 mi) west of the Euphrates. In the 2004 census by the Cen ...

– 1998,

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of ...

), prominent writer, journalist, novelist and public activist, one of the founders of

Hagop Barsoumian Hagop Barsoumian (1 September 1936 in Aleppo, Syria - 1986) was an Armenian scholar who concentrated on Armenology, in particular studies of the Armenian community in the Ottoman Empire in the nineteenth century. Dr. Barsoumian published many articl ...

(1936, Aleppo – 1986, Beirut), Armenian scholar and Armenologist, Ph.D. in

Ottoman History The Ottoman Empire was founded c. 1299 by Osman I as a small beylik in northwestern Asia Minor just south of the Byzantine capital Constantinople. The Ottomans first crossed into Europe in 1352, establishing a permanent settlement at Çimpe Cast ...

Antranig Chalabian Antranig Chalabian (March 11, 1922, Kessab, Syria – April 12, 2011, Southfield, Michigan) was a medical illustrator, cartographer and historian, an author of several volumes on Armenian history. He is best known for his biography of General A ...

(1922, Kesab – 2011, Southfield,

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

), US-based Armenian historian, medical illustrator and cartographer * Seta Dadoyan (born in Aleppo), Lebanon-based Armenian scholar, Doctor of Sciences in Philosophy focusing on the history of Armenian philosophy * Antranig Dzarugian (1913, Gürün – 1989, Beirut),

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. ...

n novelist and poet of the 20th century, raised and educated in Aleppo * Bedros Hadjian (1933, Jarabulus – 2012, Buenos Aires),

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

-based Armenian contemporary writer and journalist * Rizqallah Hassun (1825, Aleppo – 1880,

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

), Syrian-Armenian poet and the founder of the first newspaper written solely in

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...

, ''Mirat al-ahwal'', in 1855 * Moushegh Ishkhan (1914, Sivrihisar – 1990, Beirut), Armenian Diasporan poet of the 20th century, raised and educated in Damascus *

Harry Koundakjian Harry Koundakjian (July 11, 1930 – April 21, 2014) was a Syrian-born American news photographer, photojournalist and photo editor. Early life and education Koundakjian was born in Syria, but completed high school in neighboring Lebanon. He a ...

(1930–2014), Syrian-born American news photographer, photojournalist and photo editor *

Vahan Kurkjian Vahan M. Kurkjian ( hy, Վահան Մ. Քուրքջյան; 1863–1961) was an Armenian author, historian, teacher, and community leader. In 1904, in Cairo, he published the Armenian newspaper ''Loussaper'' (''The Morning Star''), in the pag ...

(1863, Aleppo – 1961,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

), Armenian author, historian and teacher, publisher of ''Loussaper'' Armenian newspaper in 1904 in

Cairo Cairo ( ; ar, القاهرة, al-Qāhirah, ) is the capital of Egypt and its largest city, home to 10 million people. It is also part of the largest urban agglomeration in Africa, the Arab world and the Middle East: The Greater Cairo metr ...

* Harut Sassounian (born 1950, Aleppo), Armenian-American writer and political analyst, publisher of ''

The California Courier ''The California Courier'' is an English-language Armenian weekly newspaper published since 1958 in the United States. Its publisher is Harut Sassounian. History In 1958, ''The California Courier'' was founded in Fresno, California by George J. ...

'' * Simon Simonian (1914, Ayntab – 1986, Beirut), Aleppo-raised and educated Armenian writer, public activist and teacher, founder of the Spurk Journal in 1958 in Beirut * Hrag Vartanian (born in Aleppo),

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

-based Armenian-American contemporary writer, critic and cultural worker * Manvel Zulalian (1929, Aleppo – 2012,

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 ...

), academic Armenian historian, Armenologist, and professor of the

Armenian State Pedagogical University Khachatur Abovian Armenian State Pedagogical University (ASPU) ( hy, Խաչատուր Աբովյանի անվան հայկական պետական մանկավարժական համալսարան, ՀՊՄՀ), is a state university and higher educa ...

, Ph.D. in Oriental studies

Sciences

* Roger Altounian (1922, Aleppo – 1987), Syrian-born Anglo-Armenian

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

and

pharmacologist Pharmacology is a branch of medicine, biology and pharmaceutical sciences concerned with drug or medication action, where a drug may be defined as any artificial, natural, or endogenous (from within the body) molecule which exerts a biochemic ...

who pioneered the use of sodium cromoglycate as a remedy for

asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, co ...

Engineering and Architecture

*Kevork Yeramian (1949 – 2009, Aleppo), Aleppo-born Syrian-Armenian architect and interior designer with major contributions to the Armenian community in Aleppo, including the Aram Manougian Complex, the Armenian theaters of Aleppo, Syria, and various

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 ...

monuments.

Sports

* Kevork Mardikian (born 1957,

Latakia , coordinates = , elevation_footnotes = , elevation_m = 11 , elevation_ft = , postal_code_type = , postal_code = , area_code = Country code: 963 City code: 41 , geocode ...

), football trainer and one of the best Syrian footballers of all time, played during the 1970s and 1980s * Mardik Mardikian (born 1992, Latakia), current member of Syria national football team, son of trainer Kevork Mardigian

Music, theatre and drama

* George Tutunjian (1930, Aleppo – 2006,

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...

), Armenian patriotic songs performer *

Aram Tigran Aram Tigran ( hy, Արամ Տիգրան) or Aramê Dîkran ( Kurdish rendering from Western Armenian), born Aram Melikyan ( hy, Արամ Մէլիքեան), (1934 – 8 August 2009) was a contemporary Armenian singer who sang primarily in Kur ...

(1934, Qamishli – 2009,

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates a ...

), Armenian singer among Kurds who sang primarily in Kurdish and Armenian * Karnig Sarkissian (born 1953, Aleppo), contemporary performer of Armenian revolutionary songs * Paul Baghdadlian (1953, Aleppo – 2011,

Glendale, California Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from 191,719 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth-larges ...

), worldwide Armenian singer *

Haig Yazdjian Haig Yazdjian is a Syrian-Greek composer, vocalist, Oud player, and producer. He was born in Aleppo, Syria in 1959. His parents are Armenians from Kayseri and Nevşehir in modern-day Turkey. For much of his life he has lived in Greece, which is wh ...

(born 1959, Aleppo), Greece-based Syrian-Armenian composer, vocalist and oud player * Arsen Grigorian (Mro) (born 1968, Qamishli), Armenian traditional songs performer *

Avraam Russo Avraam Russo (russian: Авраам Руссо, hy, Աբրահամ Ռուսսո, ar, أفرام روسو); born as Abraham Zhanovich Ipjian (russian: Абрахам Жанович Ипджян; born July 21, 1969) is a Syrian-born Russian po ...

(born 1969, Aleppo), born as Apraham Ipjian, Syrian-Armenian singer in Russia * Raffi Ohanian (born 1989, Aleppo), contemporary singer, 2009–2010 winner of

Hay Superstar Hay Superstar / Hye Superstar (Հայ Սուպերսթար) is the Armenian version of the British television hit show ''Pop Idol''. It is a talent contest to find the best young singer in Armenia. Summary Season 1 (2006) Auditions were held in ...

TV hit show of the ''Idol'' series in Armenia

Visual arts

Jean Carzou __NOTOC__ Jean Carzou ( hy, Ժան Գառզու, born in Aleppo; 1 January 1907 – 12 August 2000) was a French–Armenian artist, painter, and illustrator, whose work illustrated the novels of Ernest Hemingway and Albert Camus. Life and care ...

(1907, Aleppo – 2000, Marsac-sur-l'Isle,

Dordogne Dordogne ( , or ; ; oc, Dordonha ) is a large rural department in Southwestern France, with its prefecture in Périgueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and the Pyrenees, it is named ...

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

-Armenian painter from Syria *

Yousuf Karsh Yousuf Karsh, FRPS (December 23, 1908 – July 13, 2002) was a Canadian-Armenian photographer known for his portraits of notable individuals. He has been described as one of the greatest portrait photographers of the 20th century. An Armenian ...

(1908–2002), Armenian Canadian portrait photographer * Shahen Khachatrian (born 1934, Aleppo), artist and art expert, founding director of Arshile Gorky Museum in Vagharshapat

Business and public activism

* Giovanni Anastasi (1780, Damascus – 1860,

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...

), wealthy merchant and antiquarian, served as Swedish-Norwegian consul-general in Alexandria from 1828 until his death *

Charles A. Agemian Charles A. Agemian (July 22, 1909 – March 30, 1996) was an Armenian-American banker who took early retirement from Chase Manhattan Bank, where he was executive vice president of operations, to become chairman and chief executive officer of t ...

(1909, Aleppo – 1996,

Neptune City, New Jersey Neptune City is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 4,869,Armenian-American banker * Albert A. Boyajian (born 1940, Aleppo), American business leader and activist for Armenian causes *

Vatche Arslanian Vatche Arslanian (1955 – April 8, 2003) was a member of the Canadian Red Cross and head of logistics for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Iraq. He was one of the six ICRC delegates who chose to stay in the country duri ...

(1955, Aleppo – 2003,

Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...

), member of the

Canadian Red Cross The Canadian Red Cross Society ()ICRC The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC; french: Comité international de la Croix-Rouge) is a humanitarian organization which is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and it is also a three-time Nobel Prize Laureate. State parties (signato ...

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 Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

during the

2003 invasion of Iraq The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a United States-led invasion of the Republic of Iraq and the first stage of the Iraq War. The invasion phase began on 19 March 2003 (air) and 20 March 2003 (ground) and lasted just over one month, including ...

* Jack Kachkar (born 1964, Damascus),

Armenian Canadian Armenian Canadians (Western Armenian: գանատահայեր, Eastern Armenian: կանադահայեր, ''kanadahayer''; french: Arméno-Canadiens) are citizens and permanent residents of Canada who have total or partial Armenian ancestry. Accor ...

businessman

Entertainment

Arto Der Haroutunian Arto Der Haroutunian ( hy, Արտո Տեր-Հարությունյան, 1940–1987) was a celebrated British Armenian cook, artist, translator and writer. Early life Arto Der Haroutunian was born in 1940 in Aleppo, Syria to Armenian parents. ...

(1952, Aleppo – 1987, England), British-Armenian cook, restaurateur, architect, painter, poet and translator * DJ Sedrak (1963, Aleppo – 2008, Yerevan), TV presenter and the first radio-DJ in Armenia, born as Setrag Davidian * Charla Baklaian Faddoul (23 July 1976, Aleppo, Syria), reality star who appeared on '' The Amazing Race 5'' and '' The Amazing Race: All-Stars'' with her cousin Mirna