Armenians in Iran
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 70,000–90,000, 120,000 150,000, 200,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Tehran, Tabriz, Esfahan (New Julfa), Peria, Khuzestan, Bourvari | |
| Languages | |
| Armenian, Persian | |
| Religion | |
| Armenian Apostolic, Armenian Catholic and Evangelical |
Iranian-Armenians (Armenian: իրանահայեր iranahayer or Armenian: պարսկահայեր parskahayer, "Persian Armenians"), are ethnic Armenian citizens of Iran. They are mostly concentrated in Tabriz, Tehran and Isfahan's Jolfa (Nor Jugha) quarter, and an estimated 70,000 to 200,000 remain in the country.
The Armenians have a many millennia old history within the modern-day borders of Iran. They are amongst the native inhabitants of Iran's northwestern regions, with the territory having made up part of historical Armenia numerous times in history. Many of the oldest Armenian churches, monasteries, and chapels, are located within modern-day Iran. Persian Armenia, which includes the modern-day Armenian Republic was part of Qajar Iran up to 1828, and Iran had one of the largest populations of Armenians in the world alongside neighboring Ottoman Empire until the beginning of the 20th century.
Iranian-Armenians were very influential and active in the modernization of Iran during the 19th and 20th centuries. After the Iranian Revolution, many Armenians emigrated to Armenian diasporic communities in North America and Western Europe. Today the Armenians are Iran's largest Christian religious minority. It is commonly noted that, due to their migration to the Persian Empire many centuries ago and being native to northwestern Iran, Armenians of Iran have culturally assimilated with their Muslim Iranian compatriots in a very noticeable way and have adopted a number of their traditions while simultaneously keeping their Christian faith and Armenian identity.
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