Greeks in Syria - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Greek presence in Syria is dated to the 7th century BCE and became more prominent during the Hellenistic era and when the Seleucid Empire was centered there. Today there is a Greek community of about 1,500 in Syria

Syria

Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....

most of whom have Syrian nationality and live mainly in Aleppo

Aleppo

Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...

, the country's main trading and financial center and Damascus

Damascus

Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...

, the capital.

History

Greek presence is attested from early on and in fact the name of Syria itself is of Greek provenance from the Greek word for the Assyrians. However it was during the Hellenist times that it was most prominent. Specifically the Seleucid Empire which was centered in modern day Syria and Lebanon and reached as far as Pakistan at the height of its power. It was a major centre of Hellenistic culture which maintained the preeminence of Greek

Greeks

The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....

customs and where a Greek

Greek language

Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...

-speaking Macedonian elite dominated, mostly in the urban areas. Following the decline of the Seleucid empire Greek culture began to wane, particularly following the Muslim conquest.

Present Situation

Damascus has been home to an organized Greek community since 1913. There of course is also a significant Greco-Syrian population in Aleppo

Aleppo

, as well as smaller communities in Latakia

Latakia

Latakia, or Latakiyah , is the principal port city of Syria, as well as the capital of the Latakia Governorate. In addition to serving as a port, the city is a manufacturing center for surrounding agricultural towns and villages...

, Tartus and Homs

Homs

Homs , previously known as Emesa , is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is above sea level and is located north of Damascus...

. As with most other ethnic minorities in Syria, most Greco-Syrians speak Arabic

Arabic language

Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...

only along with a school-taught foreign language such as French or English; however, a working or rudimentary knowledge of Greek

Greek language

for liturgical purposes as well as among older, particularily first and second-generation individuals, is relatively wide-spread. Damascus has a private Greek-language school as well for the community that is maintained by guest instructors from Greece

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

Greek Muslims in Syria

In addition to the Greek Orthodox Christian population there are also about 3,000 Greek speaking Muslims of Cretan origin in Al-Hamidiyah, Syria

Syria

. Greek Muslims constitute 60% of Al-Hamidiyah's population. Greek Muslims, as with their Greek Christian counterparts, are very much concerned with maintaining and preserving their culture and language.

History

Present Situation

Greek Muslims in Syria

See also