Armenian Diocese of Beroea

Diocese of Beroea Բերիոյ Հայոց Թեմ
Forty Martyrs Cathedral, Aleppo
Location
Country	Syria
Statistics
Population - Total	(as of 2011 est.) 70,000
Information
Denomination	Armenian Apostolic Church
Rite	Armenian Rite
Established	1432
Cathedral	Forty Martyrs Cathedral, Aleppo
Current leadership
Patriarch	Aram I
Primate	Archbishop Shahan Sarkisian
Website
Official website

Armenian Diocese of Beroea (Armenian: Բերիոյ Հայոց Թեմ Berio Hayots Tem), is one of the oldest dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church outside the historic Armenian territories, covering the Syrian city of Aleppo and the governorates of Deir ez-Zor, Idlib, Latakia and Raqqa. It is known as Beroea, being named after one of the ancient names of Aleppo; when the city was renamed Beroea (Βέροια) in 301 BC by Seleucus Nicator until the Arab conquest of Syria and Aleppo in 637 AD. The seat of the bishop is the Forty Martyrs Cathedral of Aleppo. It is under the jurisdiction of the Holy See of Cilicia of the Armenian Church.

The presence of Armenians in northern Syria dates back to the 1st century BC. Under Tigranes the Great, Armenians invaded Syria and the city of Antioch was chosen as one of the four capitals of the short-lived Armenian Empire.

In the Middle Ages, Armenia was conquered by the Arab Islamic Caliphate during the first half of the 7th century. Thousands of Armenians were carried into slavery by the Arab invaders to serve in other regions of the Umayyad Caliphate including the Muslim-controlled Syria.

Another wave of Armenian migrants arrived in Cilicia and northern Syria during the the 2nd half of the 11th century, when Armenia was conquered by the Seljuq Turks. Most Armenians established themselves in Cilicia where they founded the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. Many other Armenians have preferred to settle in northern Syria. Armenian quarters were formed during the 11th century in Antioch, Aleppo, Ayntab, Marash, Kilis, etc.

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Wikipedia