History of Armenians in Cyprus

With the arrival of the British in July 1878 and their progressive administration, the already prosperous yet small Armenian community of the island was particularly strengthened. Known for their linguistic skills, several Armenians were contracted to Cyprus to work as interpreters and public servants at the consulates and the British administration, such as Apisoghom Utidjian – the official state translator and interpreter for Ottoman Turkish between 1878 and 1919. The number of Armenians in Cyprus significantly increased following the massive deportations, the massacres and the genocide perpetrated by the Ottomans and the Young Turks (1894–1896, 1909 & 1915–1923). Cyprus welcomed over 10,000 refugees from Cilicia, Smyrna and Constantinople, who arrived in Larnaca and all its other harbours, some by chance, others by intent; about 1,500 of them made the island their new home. Industrious, cultivated and progressive, they brought new life into the old community and did not need long to find their feet and establish themselves as people of the arts, letters and sciences, entrepreneurs and merchants, craftsmen and photographers, as well as professionals who introduced new crafts, dishes and sweets to the island, thus contributing to Cyprus' socioeconomic and cultural development.^[4]

The newcomers established associations, choirs, sports groups, Scout groups, bands, churches, schools and cemeteries in Nicosia, Larnaca, Limassol, Famagusta, Amiandos and elsewhere, while soon Armenophony became a reality. Armenians were the first locksmiths, mechanics, seat, comb and stamp makers, upholsterers, watchmakers and zincographers in Cyprus. They were the first to introduce the cinema, they significantly improved the craft of shoemaking and it was Armenians who first introduced Armenian bastourma, baklava, dried apricots, gassosa, gyros, halva, ice cubes, koubes, lahmadjoun, lokmadhes and pompes into the Cypriot cuisine – all very popular today. Armenians also introduced two techniques of embroidery needlework: the Aintab work (Այնթապի գործ) and the Marash work (Մարաշի գործ). There were also some Armenian factory owners (ice makers, soap makers, sock makers, tanners etc.), but above all, there was a disproportionately large number of Armenian photographers.

Law-abiding by nature,^{[citation needed]} Armenian-Cypriots always had a high-profile with the British administration and many became conscientious civil servants and disciplined policemen or were employed at the Cyprus Government Railway and at Cable and Wireless. Throughout the 1920s–1950s, many worked at the asbestos mines at Amiandos and the copper mines at Mavrovouni and Skouriotissa, some of whom had been trade unionists. Some Armenian-Cypriots participated in the 1897 Greco-Turkish War, the two World Wars (1914–1918 – at the Cyprus Muleteers' Corps – & 1939–1945 – both at the Cyprus Regiment and the Cyprus Volunteer Force) and the EOKA liberation struggle (1955–1959). Also, the Eastern Legion (later called Armenian Legion) was formed and trained between December 1916 and May 1918 in Monarga village, near Boghazi, consisting of over 4,000 Diasporan Armenian volunteers who fought against the Ottoman Empire. Some Armenian refugees arrived from Palestine (1947–1949) and Egypt (1956–1957).^[3]

Following negotiations in September and October 1916, between Boghos Noubar Pasha and French military and political authorities, the Eastern Legion (Légion d'Orient/Արեւելեան Լեգէոն) was officially established in Cairo in November 1916, by a special charter signed by the French Minister of War, General Pierre August Roques. It was to be an auxiliary unit of the French Army, consisting mainly of Armenian volunteers, whose aim was to liberate Cilicia from the Ottoman Empire, for the purpose of creating an independent Armenian state in that region. After negotiations with the British authorities, within the framework of the Anglo-French intelligence co-operation, it was decided that the training of the volunteers (կամաւորներ=gamavorner) would take place at Monarga, in the Carpass peninsula of Cyprus, near Boghaz. The Legion would be administered by French officers.^[5]

The camp was built in December 1916 by Armenian Genocide refugees and the arrival of the first volunteers – refugees from Musa Dagh – started in January 1917. Throughout 1917 and 1918, volunteers arrived at Famagusta harbor from the harbours of Marseille and Port Said. Several Armenian organisations in the Middle East, Europe and North America supported the Legion, either with financial contributions or by drafting Diasporan Armenians to form companies of the Legion. The selection and training were rather strict, while the exceeding difficulties and large costs of transportation hindered the arrival of more volunteers from the New World. The volunteers were especially impatient to perform their patriotic duty.

The camp consisted of the headquarters, the barracks, various auxiliary installations (including a water basin) and a small church. In total, there were 4,124 volunteers, who formed 3 Armenian battalions, as well as 2 Syrian companies (consisting of about 300 men). The camp's commander was Infantry Lieutenant Colonel Louis Romieu, while its spiritual shepherd was Archbishop Taniel Hagopian, assisted by Archimandrite Krikor Bahlavouni, who later became known as “Topal Vartabed” (Թոփալ Վարդապետ=Lame Archimandrite), because of an injury he suffered during his military service. Both clergymen came to Cyprus from the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, even though at the time the Armenian Prelature of Cyprus was under the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople.

In addition to their duties in Cyprus, at some point, the defence of Castellorizo island (to the east of Rhodes) was handed to the Armenian Legion. Basic training was completed by May 1918. Until then, the 1st battalion had about a year and a half of training, the 2nd battalion about eight months and the third battalion was being formed. Then, the largest part of the Legion was moved to Egypt and thence it was deployed to Palestine, marking the Battle of Arara on 19 September 1918. The 3rd battalion left Cyprus in October 1918. In December 1918 the Legion – consisting now of 4 battalions, 4,368 soldiers and 66 officers – settled in the Cilicia region (with its headquarters located in Adana) as part of the French Mandate, where it remained until it was dissolved in August 1920. In February 1919 it was officially called “Armenian Legion” (Légion Arménienne/Հայկական Լեգէոն). In mid-1919, General Antranik Ozanian came to Cyprus, wanting to go to Cilicia in order to head the Legion, but this was denied by the French. After its dissolution, only a very small number of legionnaires returned to Cyprus.

In the Armenian cemetery of Larnaca there is a group grave of 9 volunteers of the Armenian Legion, commissioned by the French consulate in the late 1940s. In the location where the Legion's camp once was, presently in the Turkish-occupied areas, very few vestiges remain.^[6]

The Armenian-Cypriot community prospered throughout the British Era (1878–1960), by establishing associations, choirs, Scout groups, sports teams, musical ensembles, churches, cemeteries and schools, including the renowned Melkonian Educational Institute. In many ways unique across the whole Armenian Diaspora, it was built just outside Nicosia between 1924 and 1926, after the generous and benevolent donation of the Egyptian-Armenian tobacco trading brothers Krikor and Garabed Melkonian, initially in order to shelter and educate 500 orphans of the Genocide, who planted the trees in front of the school in memory of their slaughtered relatives. From an orphanage (1926–1940), it gradually became a world-renowned secondary school with a boarding section (1934–2005).^[7]

Examining the population censuses of the British Era (see Demography section), we observe a steady increase in the number of Armenians in Cyprus, ranging from 201 in 1881 to 4,549 in 1956. In their vast majority, they were Armenian Apostolic, but there was also a small number of Armenian Catholics and Armenian Protestants. In the 1960 population census, 3,628 Armenians were recorded – in contrast to 4,549 in 1956 – as about 900 Armenian-Cypriots had emigrated to Great Britain, Australia and elsewhere, not only because of the difficult economic conditions of the time, but mainly due to the emergency situation caused by the EOKA liberation struggle (1955–1959) and the uncertainty that some felt with the departure of the British, whom they viewed as their protectors. In fact, a large portion of British-Armenians hail from Cyprus.^[3]

The end of the EOKA liberation struggle (1955–1959) found Armenian-Cypriots having forged strong bonds with the rest of the Cypriots. The 1960 Independence brought a new era for the Armenians of Cyprus, who – together with the Maronites and the Latins – were recognised as a “religious group” by the Constitution (Article 2 § 3) and were now represented by an elected Representative – initially a member of the Greek Communal Chamber (Article 109) and, since 1965, a member of the House of Representatives (Law 12/1965). The size of the community, however, had been reduced because of the emigration of about 900 Armenian-Cypriots to the United Kingdom, due to the emergency situation caused by the EOKA liberation struggle (1955–1959) and the poor state of the local economy. A second factor that contributed to the reduction of the community's size was the emigration of about 600 Armenian-Cypriots to Soviet Armenia, as part of the Panarmenian movement for “repatriation” during the 1962–1964 period (nerkaght).^[8]

During the 1963–1964 inter-communal troubles, the Armenian-Cypriot community suffered major losses, as the Armenian quarter of Nicosia was captured by Turkish Cypriots. Taken were the Prelature building, the mediaeval Virgin Mary church, the Melikian-Ouzounian school, the Genocide Monument, the club houses of the Armenian Club, AYMA and Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), as well as the Armenian Evangelical church; also taken was the mediaeval Ganchvor church in Famagusta. In total, 231 Armenian-Cypriot families became victims to the Turks and/or lost their shops and enterprises. As a result, hundreds of Armenian-Cypriots left for Great Britain, Canada, Australia and the United States.^[4] After the 1974 Turkish invasion, the Armenian-Cypriot community suffered additional losses: 4–5 families living in Kyrenia, about 30 families in Nicosia and 40–45 families in Famagusta became refugees, while an Armenian-Cypriot lady (Rosa Bakalian) has been missing since then; the renowned Magaravank monastery in Pentadhaktylos was taken by the Turkish troops, the Melkonian boys' dormitory was bombed by the Turkish Air Force, while the Ayios Dhometios Armenian cemetery was hit by mortars and fell within the buffer zone. As a result, dozens of Armenian-Cypriots emigrated, mainly to Great Britain – in total, about 1,300 Armenian-Cypriots left Cyprus in the 1960s and 1970s, in addition to those who emigrated to Soviet Armenia.^[2]

The nerkaght [ներգաղթ=repatriation, also known as հայրենադարձութիւն (hayrenatartsoutiun=home-coming)] movement was a Panarmenian migration movement of Diasporan Armenians to Soviet Armenia, within the framework of a co-ordinated attempt of the Armenian SSR and the Church of Armenia to strengthen their claims on historical Armenia's territory, appealing to the patriotic sentiments of Armenians in the Diaspora; especially after World War II, nerkaght was also a way to partially replace the large number of Armenians who perished during the War. Massive propaganda took place, in co-operation with the AGBU and the Ramgavar party, arousing a storm of enthusiasm in the Armenian communities of the Diaspora and creating high expectations for their settling in the “homeland”, which they perceived as their ultimate destination. In retrospect, nerkaght could also be considered as Soviet manoeuvre in the Cold War era.

Nerkaght's waves took place in 1921–1925 (19,688 people), 1926–1929, 1932–1933, 1936 (22,598), 1946–1949 (the largest wave, with 89,780 repatriates) and 1962–1982 (31,920 people), when 163,986 Armenians in total migrated to Soviet Armenia from Iran, Greece, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, France, Bulgaria, Egypt, Turkey, Romania, Palestine, Jordan, Cyprus, the United States, Great Britain, Argentina, China, Israel and elsewhere.^[9]

Between 1944 and 1948, there was the Friends of Armenia Association [Հայաստանի Բարեկամաց Միութիւն (Hayastani Paregamats Mioutiun)], which was established by AGBU and Ramgavar party supporters, with the purpose of promoting love for the Soviet “homeland” and the acquaintance with its culture. Other than the various other sports, cultural, social, charity and other events, there was massive propaganda in favour of the nerkaght movement, including articles in the association's “Nor Arax” newspaper, as well as in the Greek-Cypriot communist “Dimokratis” newspaper, lectures and other events. Despite the opposition of the Dashnaktsoutiun party and the colonial government, about 2,000 Armenian-Cypriots had registered; in the end, however, Armenians from poorer countries of the Middle East and the Balkans were preferred. However, there were 4–5 individual Armenian-Cypriot families who emigrated to Soviet Armenia on their own in 1947.

With the announcement of the new wave of nerkaght in 1961, the AGBU and the Ramgavar party started over an even more massive propaganda in favour of “repatriation”. Lectures, film screenings and radio broadcasts were organised, speakers from Soviet Armenia were hosted, which was visited by an Armenian-Cypriot delegation – which later on presented its impressions both in speeches and in the “Henaran” newspaper. Propaganda in favour of nerkaght was also in the left-wing Greek-Cypriot “Haravgi” newspaper, as well at the Melkonian Educational Institute. On the other hand, there was strong opposition on the part of the Dashnaktsoutiun party, for both ideological and pragmatic reasons. As a result, 576 Armenian-Cypriots in total were repatriated to Soviet Armenia between 1962 and 1964 (amounting to about 15% of the community at the time). From Famagusta's harbour 20 left on 19 September 1962 (with the “Felix Dzerzhinsky” steamship), 373 on 3 October 1962 (with the “Gruzia” steamship), 168 on 19 October 1963 (with the “Litva” steamship) and 15 on 4 September 1964 (with the “Odessa” steamship). Most of them settled in Girovagan (Vanatsor), with a smaller number settling in Leninagan (Guymri). Over the years, some of them managed to re-settle in Yerevan.

Coupled with the exodus of about 900 Armenian-Cypriots to the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and the United States during the EOKA emergency (1955–1959), the further emigration of about 600 Armenian-Cypriots to Soviet Armenia brought about a significant reduction to the size of the community, by about a third. Families were divided (not simply ideologically – but also physically), important members of the community were no longer part of it, while unrest was hovering over the future of the community – especially after the 1963–1964 intercommunal violence and the ousting of Armenian-Cypriots from their ancient quarter in Nicosia.

Additionally, as news of the emigrants' bad living and financial conditions finally arrived in Cyprus (through coded letters or photographs – due to Soviet censorship -, as well as from visitors to/from Soviet Armenia), there was a sense of bitterness over the whole situation, as well as further rivalry between Dashnaktsoutiun (favouring a free and an independent Armenia) and anti-Dashnaktsoutiun organisations (supporting or, at least, settling with a Soviet Armenia). The latter also lost a number of supporters, as most of the emigrants were affiliated with AGBU and/or Ramgavar. Finally, Dashnaktsoutiun gained more sympathisers in some disillusioned AGBU and/or Ramgavar supporters.

Disappointed by what they saw and lived through, almost all of the ones who went to Soviet Armenia wanted to return to Cyprus from the start, as they were not accustomed to that kind of life. Due to restrictions from the Soviet regime, in order to come back, a large number of them moved to Baku, Azerbaijan. The adventurous return started in 1967 and continued until 2005, although most of them came during the late 1980s (after the Spitak earthquake) and the early 1990s (after the dissolution of the Soviet Union). In fact, the first wave of Armenians from Armenia who came to Cyprus after 1991 were mostly Armenian-Cypriots who had migrated to Soviet Armenia in the 1960s and their spouses/descendants.^[8] Their lives have been indelibly marked, also creating a sort of “identity crisis”: in Cyprus they are considered “Hayastantsi” (Armenians from Armenia), while in Armenia they were considered “Gibratsi” (Cypriots) or “Gibrahay” (Armenians from Cyprus).

With the unfailing support of the government, the small yet industrious Armenian community of Cyprus gradually managed to recover from its losses and continued to prosper in the remaining urban areas, contributing culturally and socioeconomically to the development of its homeland. On 24 April 1975, Cyprus became the first European country (and the second worldwide, after Uruguay) to recognise the Armenian genocide with Resolution 36/1975; two more resolutions followed, Resolution 74/1982 and Resolution 103/1990, with the latter declaring 24 April as National Remembrance Day of the Armenian Genocide in Cyprus. Over the past decades, the dynamics of the Armenian-Cypriot community have changed with the increased number of marriages with Greek-Cypriots and other non-Armenians, and the arrival over the last 30–35 years of thousands of Armenian political and economic immigrants because of the civil war in Lebanon (1975–1990), the insurgencies in Syria (1976–1982), the Islamic revolution in Iran and the Iran–Iraq War (1978–1988), as well as after the Spitak earthquake (1988) and the dissolution of the Soviet Union (1991); some of them have settled permanently in Cyprus. According to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages of the Council of Europe, the Armenian language – the mother tongue of the vast majority of Armenian-Cypriots – was recognised as a minority language of Cyprus as of 1 December 2002. Today, it is estimated that Armenians living in Cyprus number over 3,500 persons; other than the countries mentioned above, in Cyprus there is also a small number of Armenians coming from Ethiopia, Greece, Kuwait, Turkey and the United Kingdom.^[10]