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Egyptian Armenians Extended History and Unforgettable Brotherhood
Egyptian Armenians Extended History and Unforgettable Brotherhood
That peaceful, noble national race chose Egypt as a home after the brutal
massacres it was subjected to at the hands of the fascist Ottoman Empire
during and after the First World War. They loved Egypt and enriched it with
their sciences, literature, arts, culture, and patriotism. Perhaps everyone who
reads this ensures their patriotism, art and wealth of knowledge.
A glimpse into Armenian history in Egypt
The relationship between the two nations goes back to the Pharaonic times
while strengthening during the Byzantine rule followed by the Fatimid
Caliphate times and reaching its culmination in the reign of Mohammed Ali.
For centuries, Armenians have had great input on the development of culture,
economy, and science in Egypt.
From Abbasid Era in the 7th century to the Ottoman Era of the early 19th
century.
Among the most notable Armenians in Egypt between the Abbasid Era in the
7th century to the Ottoman Era of the early 19th century were:
Vartan the Standard Bearer, or Wardan al-Rumi al-Armani, saved the life of
Amr Ibn al-‘As, the commander of the Arab army at the Battle of Alexandria in
641.
Al-Amir Ali Ibn Yahya Abu’l Hassan al-Armani – the governor of Egypt in 841
and 849, appointed by the Abbasid Caliph.
Ibn Khatib Al-Ferghani - the master-builder of the Armenian ancestry who
rebuilt the Nilometer on the southern tip of Rawda.
Badr al-Gamali - a manumitted slave of Armenian descent was called by Caliph
al-Muntasir in 1073 to assist him during the Fatimid period when Egypt was
weakened by the inner strife and ravaged by drought, famine, and epidemics.
Badr’s army, composed of mainly Armenian soldiers, is believed to have been
formed after the fall of the Bagratuni capital, Ani (1066) when many Armenian
refugees sought shelter in other countries. Badr al-Gamali was the first military
man to become the Vezir (minister) of the Sword and the Pen, thus setting the
trend for a century of mostly Armenian Vezirs with the same monopoly of
civilian and military powers. At the height of their power, the Armenian Vezir
could count on the personal loyalty of more than 30,000 Armenian soldiers.
Al-Afdal – the son of Badr al-Gamali, who succeeded his father as Vezir. He
constructed the Palace of Vezirate, or Dar al Wizarra, besides creating two
public parks with exotic gardens, and a recreation area with a man-made lake
called Birket al Arman, or Armenian Lake.
Three Armenian brothers – all architects and masons skilled in cutting and
dressing stones, constructed the three monumental gates of Cairo: Bab al-Nasr
and Bab al-Futuh in 1087 and Bab Zuwayla in 1092. The gates with their
flanking towers still stand today.
The ramparts and gates, which have a certain similarity to the fortifications of
the Bagratuni Capital Ani, are regarded as masterpieces of military architecture
by international standards.
Bahram al-Armani – after restoring order and peace in the country at the
request of Caliph al-Hafiz, was appointed by the latter as the Vezir in 1135.
Sinan Pasha - the Ottoman Empire’s chief architect of Armenian descent, who
constructed the historic Mosque of Bulaq, as well as Cairo’s grain market, and
Bulaq’s public bathroom (Hammam Sha’bi).
Amir Suleyman Bey al-Armani - held the position of the Governor of
Munnifeya and Gharbiyya provinces in 1690 and was so wealthy that he had
Mamluks at his service.
Ali al-Armani and Ali Bey al-Armani Abul Azab - served as regional
commanders.
Muhammad Kehia al-Armani – was an incorruptible leader who in 1798 was
sent to negotiate with Napoleon Bonaparte in Alexandria to spare the
population of Cairo. Napoleon was so impressed by the conciliatory tone, the
political astuteness, and the diplomatic skill of the Mamluk of Armenian
descent that he later appointed him the Head of Cairo’s Political Affairs
Administration.
Rustam (or Petros) - a native of Karabakh was brought to Egypt as a slave
soldier. He accompanied Napoleon to France as his bodyguard, fought with the
French army at the famous battle of Austerlitz, and then took part in the
conquest of Spain.
Apraham Karakehia - an eminent money changer who supported Muhammed
Ali’s projects and plans. Karakehia would become Egypt’s money changer, with
the honorary title of Misser Sarrafi. That position and title would belong to the
Karakehia family for generations to come.
Mahdesi Yeghiazar Amira Bedrossian – another money changer from Agin
who was named the Wali’s, or Governor’s, tax collector, and special counselor.
At various times, Armenian money lenders held the sole rights of exploiting the
Cairo bathhouses, the salt mines of Matariya, and the fish market of Damietta.
The influence of the Armenian money lenders increased even more during the
1830s when due to the Russo-Turkish war and open persecution of Armenians,
many merchants and financiers settles in Egypt and even succeeded in
launching Egypt’s first bank, which operated from 1837 to 1841.
Notable Armenians Who Contributed To Egypt’s Modern State-Building.
Boghos Bey Yusufian (1768 – 1844)
He was such a successful businessman that he soon became Governor
Mohamed Ali’s partner. Boghos Bey was appointed the Wali’s chief dragoman,
or translator, first counselor, official spokesman, Minister of Commerce and
Foreign Affairs, and for decades Egypt’s leading statesman. The Wali placed
such implicit trust in him that he signed documents even before they were
drafted by Boghos Bey.
As Afaf Lutfi al-Sayyid Marsot, a historian of modern Egypt, testifies, “Boghos
has been given several cartes blanches by the Wali and could draw on the
treasury for any sum whenever he needed funds for himself. He was never
paid a regular salary but the Wali trusted him to do as he pleased in terms of
payment. For a man as suspicious as Mohamed Ali was, this was a signal proof
of trust and a unique favor allowed to no one else.” In the reign of Mohamed
Ali, Boghos was the first Christian to be granted the title of Bey.
Nubar Pasha Nubarian (1825 – 1899) - the first Prime Minister of Egypt
He was a unique gifted statesman, held the highest administrative posts for
five decades, achieved international stature, and left his decisive imprint on
Egypt’s modernization, especially in the sphere of social justice. Nubar initially
served as his uncle's, Boghos Yusufian’s secretary, then after his death, he
became dragoman to the Wali and second secretary in the Department of
Foreign Affairs. In addition to translating, his work entailed acting as a
diplomat and counsellor.
Later during the reign of Abbas I, Nubar Nubarian was appointed counsellor
and delegate for special missions. He established Cairo’s Water Company,
which introduced piped water, and led to the creation of the city of Heliopolis
in the mid desert. During Sa’id, Abbas I’s successor, Nubar Nubarian was
appointed the director of health services, then-Attorney General, policy
coordinator between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the embassies as well
as the viceroy, and finally, trade representative in Paris.
Afterwards, during Ismail’s rule, Nubar became stationed in Paris handling
financial and legal matters concerning the Suez Canal, and then in 1865, he
was appointed Minister of Public Works, where he prepared a well-studied
irrigation plan. The results of his plan were so excellent that Ismail honoured
him with a new canal in the province of Beheira, named after him Nubariyya.
Also, as a reward for his encouragement in improving the various types of
cotton, Egypt's single most profitable and prized product at the time, a type of
long-staple cotton was named Nubari after him. Moreover, Nubar was the first
Egyptian statesman to raise humanitarian issues and the principle of social
justice in the 19th century. Among his significant achievements were legal
reforms and the establishment of Mixed Courts in Egypt.
Nubar Nubarian was the first Christian to be granted the title of Pasha and the
gift of a large plot of fertile land. He also was appointed the first Prime
Minister of Egypt in 1878 and reserved the right to head the ministries of
Foreign Affairs and Justice. In 1895 Nubar Pasha was decorated with the Nile
Medal of Honor, Egypt’s highest award. He retired after having served six
viceroys and Khedives (hereditary rulers).
Light industry
Armenians in Egypt contributed to the development of many industries
including shipbuilding, textile production with spinning and weaving, carpentry
and blacksmithing, stone masonry, shoemaking, jewellery, agriculture, and
Tobacco production.
Egypt’s largest tobacco factory was founded by the Matossian brothers of
Tokat. Some 70,000 Armenians worked at the Matossian Tobacco factories.
Between 1895-1896, 90% of Egypt’s cigarette production bore the trademark
of Armenian-owned factories. In the first quarter of the 20th century, the
Armenian tobacco industry expanded to such an extent that it dominated the
markets of Egypt and Sudan, becoming the chief supplier of Adis-Ababa and
other Ethiopian cities.
Also, Melkonian brothers had been engaged in the tobacco trade in Egypt
during World War I and their business was of great volume.
Another area of an industry dominated by the Armenians was shoemaking
famous for its state-of-the-art workmanship and designs. Krikor Papazian was
the shoemaker serving the royal family and elite circles. The Sukiassian
Company specialized in tanning, leather treatment, and shoe manufacturing
for the wholesale market.
Tailoring and shirt-making were also common occupations among Armenians.
Muhammed Ali’s tailor was Hadji Garabed. During the reign of King Fuad I,
Arsen Sarafian served as the palace tailor.
Commerce
In the 17th century, Armenians in India held the monopoly of the indigo trade.
In the 19th century, the Armenians of India grew the best indigo plants and
were the principal merchants of its particular dye in the state of Bihar.
In 1824 Boghos Bey Yusufian, Egypt’s Minister of Commerce, brought into the
country 40 Armenian families with indigo-producing skills to teach Egyptians.
In less than two years, indigo due became the most important Egyptian export.
In 1824 Armenians from Izmir expanded the cultivation of the opium poppy. In
1883 the annual yield ensured one million French Francs for Egypt. However,
after 1845, the export of opium was no longer lucrative.
Another profitable development was the cultivation and large-scale export of
the mandarin, a fruit introduced by Yusuf al-Armani. Yusuf Effendi al-Armani
bought and brought with him mandarin saplings from the Island of Malta, and
planted them in Muhammed Ali’s orchard.
The fruit became popular and its production was so lucrative that it was named
Yusuf Effendi after the enterprising Armenian who introduced it.
Other Armenians who gave impetus to Egyptian trade were the money
lenders. One of them is Mahdesi Yeghiazar Amira Bedrossyan, a native of Agin
who became Muhammad Ali’s business consultant and the overseer of his
accounts. After his death, his nephews were brought from Agin, based on the
Wali’s request, and they initiated money lending and commercial enterprises
in Musqi, and later were granted the right to develop the salt mines of
Matariyya.
After 1837, when the Balta Liman Treaty gave foreigners unlimited rights to
conduct business in Egypt, money lending became irrelevant.
Education
In 1816, Boghos Bey Yusufian was instrumental in establishing Egypt’s first
school at the Citadel for the sons of the ruling family and high-ranking officials.
Consequently, a number of the citadel graduates were Armenians.
In 1834, Artin Cherakian, who had studied civil administration, organized the
School of Engineering, or Madrasat al-Handasah, at Bulaq, with the help of
Yusuf Bey Hekekian, who had studied engineering in England. In September of
the same year, he started the Bookkeeping and Accounting School, or
Madrasat al-Idara. In 1835, he joined with Sdepan Demirdjian, who had studied
diplomacy, in organizing the School of Civil Administration and Translation at
the Citadel. In his turn, Yusuf Hekekian organized the School of Mines, which
later became a division of the School of Engineering.
Ya’cub Artin Pasha, Egypt’s Education Minister and son of Artin Bey Cherakian,
inaugurated Egypt’s first school for girls in 1873. Armenians also took the
initiative of opening Egypt’s first kindergarten in 1890.
In 1937, upon the request of the Armenian Catholic Patriarchate, three
Armenian Catholic Sisters came to Egypt to inaugurate a preparatory school for
Armenian girls in Cairo. The school was limited to Armenian girls until 1967,
however, the school later opened its doors to accept female students from all
races.
Community Organizations
Community activism of Armenians also flourished giving impetus for the
formation of diverse organizations. Among these were the Fund for the
Defense of National Interests, the AGBU, the Women’s Red Cross, the
Aidzemnig Society; the Social Welfare Association, the Educational Society of
Cairo, Armenian Students Association, Hamazkayin Association, the Housaper
Cultural Association, Friends of the Promotion of Fine Arts, the Intellectual
Service of Cairo, the Armenian Home, and others. Among the community
organizations of Alexandria, there were the Bibliophile Group, the Progressive
Cultural Association, and the Dikran Yergat Cultural Society.
Church
The Armenian Church and the apolitical structure of the Armenian community
have a very important role in unifying Armenians in Egypt. There are 6
operating churches in Egypt: the Armenian Patriarchate and St. Gregory the
Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church (Cairo), the Armenian Catholic
Patriarchate and the Church of Assumption (Cairo), the St. Therese Armenian
Catholic Church (Cairo), the Armenian Patriarchate and St. Peter and Paul
Armenian Apostolic Church (Alexandria), the Immaculate Conception of Virgin
Mary, the Armenian Catholic Church (Alexandria) and the Armenian Evangelical
Church of Alexandria.
The Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Egypt, which is under the
jurisdiction of the Holy Etchmiadzin, is the primary guardian of community
assets such as endowments, and real estate in the form of agricultural land,
and other property bequeathed by the generations of philanthropists.
Schools
Armenian schools play an instrumental role in maintaining the Armenian
language among the Armenian community in Egypt. The schools integrated a
secondary education program and students who have graduated can
immediately enter the Egyptian university system, after passing the official
Thanawiya 'Amma exams. There are now three Armenian schools in Egypt:
Nubarian-Kalousdian in Heliopolis, Catholic Sisters in Heliopolis, and
Boghossian in Alexandria.
Clubs
In total, the Armenian community has four cultural clubs in Cairo and two in
Alexandria where there are activities for young people like dance troupes and
choirs. There are three sporting clubs in Cairo and two in Alexandria where the
main activity is basketball.
The AGBU is the main benevolent organization that is involved in cultural
activities as well. The other benevolent organizations are The Armenian Red
Cross, The Orthodox Armenian Charity Committee, and The Catholic Armenian
Charity Committee. There is also a home for the elderly "Aidzemnig”.
Media
The first Armenian Newspaper published in 1865 in Egypt was "Armaveni."
Many more followed throughout the years reaching 140 in total, although
some of them were short-lived.
Today there are two daily newspapers: "Houssaper" founded in 1913 and
"Arev" founded in 1915. There is a bi-weekly "Tchahagir" founded in 1948, a
monthly supplement of "Arev" in Arabic, a musical quarterly supplement of
"Tchahagir"; "Dzidzernag", and "Teghekatu" the quarterly of AGBU.
Community members also get their daily dose of Armenian culture through the
one-hour-long Armenian Radio broadcast. Also, a community internet news
site Armaveni.
Business
Certainly, those who decided to stay in Egypt, mostly skilled artisans and some
visionary industrialists, developed survival techniques, especially after Nasser’s
1952 revolution. The most vigorous ones saw the fruits of their patience under
a free-market-oriented by President Anwar Sadat.
Today, Egyptian Armenians are mostly engaged in the private sector as
successful businessmen, and skilled handicraftsmen, especially jewellers and
dentists. There are also prominent Armenian businessmen involved in the
metal industry, furniture making, printing, tourism, and chemical industries.
Matossian Brothers The Cigarette Producers
Education
1976 Major in sculpture. École Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs
(ENSAD), Paris. France
1973 Graduate Montreal Museum of Fine Arts at School of Art and Design,
Montreal, Canada.
1967 Kalousdian Armenian School, Boulaq, Cairo. Egypt.
Solo shows
2018 Al Musiqa, voix et musiques du monde arabe. Paris Philharmonie. Paris,
France.
2018 Un levantino camino del Este. Casa Árabe. Cordoba, Spain.
2017 Un levantino camino del Este. Casa Árabe. Madrid, Spain.
2017 Transfer, transport, Transit. Sabrina Amrani. Madrid, Spain.
2006 Gallery Janine Rubeiz. Beirut, Lebanon.
2000 Solo show curated by Elizabeth Harney. National Museum of African Art,
Smithsonian Institution. Washington, USA.
1998 New Stencils on Arab Women. British Council. Cairo, Egypt
1996 Panels and Stencils. Tropenmuseum. Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
1995 Stencil show. Icons of the Nile. Leighton House Museum. London, UK.
1994 Stencil show. Icons of the Nile. Galerie 50 x70. Beirut, Lebanon.
1992 Stencilled panels. Curated by Basma El-Husseiny at the British Council.
Cairo, Egypt.
1991 Stencils. Mireille and Kenton Keith’s house in Cairo. Egypt.
1990 Costume show. The Institut du monde arabe. Closing of the exhibition
Egypt-Egypt. Paris, France.
1988 Costume show. Organized by Shahira Mehrez, at Manial Palace, Golden
Hall. Cairo, Egypt.
1985 Textile hangings. Organized by historian and art collector Shahira Mehrez.
Cairo, Egypt.
1979 Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) Centre art gallery. Los
Angeles, CA, USA.
1979 Carzou Hall. Cairo, Egypt.
1978 Atelier of Alexandria. Alexandria, Egypt.
1976 Carzou Hall. Cairo, Egypt.
1974 Carzou Hall. Cairo, Egypt.
1973 Carzou Hall, Kalousdian School. Cairo, Egypt.
1971 Tekeyan Armenian Cultural Association. Montreal, Canada.
1971 Tekeyan Armenian Cultural Association. Boston, USA.
1970 Carzou Hall, Kalousdian Armenian School. Cairo, Egypt.
1969 Kalousdian Armenian School parents’ council. Cairo, Egypt.
Group shows
2019 Arabicity|Ourouba. The inaugural exhibition for the Middle East Institute
(MEI) Art Gallery. Curated by Rose Issa. Washington DC, EEUU.
2018 Soundlines of Contemporary Art. International Contemporary Art
Exhibition: Armenia 2018. Cafesjian Center for the Arts. Yerevan, Armenia.
2017 From Sound to Silence. Galerie Tanit. Beirut, Lebanon.
2015 Adventures of the Black Square: Abstract Art and Society 1915–2015,
Whitechapel Gallery. London. The UK.
2014 What Remains Part I. Rose Issa Projects. London, UK.
2012 Re-Orientations II. Rose Issa Projects. London, UK.
2012 Green: A Spring Hanging. Rose Issa Projects. London, UK.
2010 Arabicity. Beirut Exhibition Centre. Beirut, Lebanon.
2009 Taswir -Pictorial Mappings of Islam & Modernity, Martin Gropius Bau
Museum. Berlin, Germany.
2008 Re-Orientations: Contemporary Arab Representations, curated by Rose
Issa. European Parliament, Brussels, Belgium.
2003 Love Affairs. Curated by Rose Issa. IFA Galleries, Stuttgart, Bonn and
Berlin, Germany.
1998 The Shape of Memories. Curated by Rose Issa. Berchem Cultural Centre.
Antwerp, Belgium.
1984 Fotografia Mediterrania. Centre Cultural de la Caixa de Pensions.
Barcelona, Spain.
1995 The Art of African Textiles. Curated by Carole Brown. Barbican. London,
UK.
Biennales
1995 Kwangju Biennale, Korea.
Art fairs
2018 Art Basel in Miami. Sabrina Amrani Gallery. Miami, USA (solo).
2018 Artissima. Sabrina Amrani Gallery. Turin, Italy.
2018 Art Basel in Hong Kong. Sabrina Amrani Gallery. Hong Kong, China. (solo)
2018 ARCOmadrid. Sabrina Amrani Gallery. Madrid, Spain.
2017 Abu Dhabi Art. Sabrina Amrani Gallery. Abu Dhabi, UAE. (solo)
2017 Artissima. Sabrina Amrani Gallery. Turin, Italy.
2017 Art Brussels. Sabrina Amrani Gallery. Brussels, Belgium.
Public Collections
Victoria and Albert Museum. London, UK.
National Museum of African Art – Smithsonian Institution, Washington, USA.
British Airways Collection, London, UK.
The British Museum, London, UK.
British Council, Cairo, Egypt.
National Museums of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.
Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
National Gallery of Jordan. Amman, Jordan.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Vahe Varjabedian the realism artist
Exhibitions
During his latest exhibition “Colours from Egypt and Armenia” at the Armenian
school in Heliopolis, vahe showed his paintings inspired by a Nile Cruise
between Luxor and Aswan and a 2019 visit to Armenia. He has given 27 solo
exhibitions between Cairo, Alexandria, Beirut, and Montreal.
Varjabedian is currently living in Egypt and continues to hold regular
exhibitions of his new creations.
Karim Mekhtigian The Brilliant Designer
Karim Mekhtigian (1964, Cairo, Egypt), is a global artist of Armenian origin and
a pioneer in the world of design, architecture, interior, product design, art
direction as well as design management in general.
Mekhtigian studied architecture, interior design, and scenography in Paris,
where he posteriorly worked for ten years. He worked for companies in France
for a while, before starting his own interior design company, which he named
Dessil, meaning vision in Armenian. He focused more on product design and
successfully distributed his products to places like Japan and beyond. Also, he
has been designing furniture for the past two decades, his works include
collaborations with international brands.
When an interior design project brought him back to Egypt, he decided to stay
and work. He set up Alchemy, his interior design office in Cairo in 1998. In
2003, Mekhtigian opened his first showroom and was joined by his first
partner, Mohamed Fares. In the following years, his business flourished and
Alchemy became one of the most sought-after interior design companies in
Egypt, with three showrooms in Cairo and one in Bahrain. After the 2011
revolution and the economic difficulties that followed, the company closed all
its showrooms and focused more on architecture and commercial projects, like
the design of major compounds like Seashell and La Playa on the North coast,
and other ones in Cairo.
Besides, commercial projects, like restaurants, bars, and hospitality. Also,
branding, strategy, and design for all its commercial projects. This includes
conceptualizing their logo, communication strategy, and visual identity.
Salon Anoushka
As a gifted person who doesn’t believe in expressing herself in just one art
form, Anoushka did theatre, several TV series, and a series on the radio. She
first appeared in the cinema in Salah Abou Seif’s film Al-Sayed Kaf (1994), co-
starring alongside Abdelmoneim Madbouly and Sanaa Gameel. She also acted
in many television series, including Al-Tawoos in 1991, and more recently in
2022, the Rag’een ya Hawa series.
Salon Anoushka, her show, is regarded as one of the most successful television
shows. It is produced by Content Plus and shown on the DMC channel.
Miral Mahilian the Egyptian Princess
Miral Michelle (Aka Miral Mahilian) is an Egyptian-British model & actress with
Armenian roots, born to an Egyptian man and a British woman. She studied
broadcasting at the Faculty of Mass Communication at MSA University, and
had a major leading role and a prominent activity in the global ceremony “The
Golden parade” that was held on the 3rd of April, 2021 as 22 royal mummies
were paraded through the streets of Downtown Cairo, in the presence of
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, witnessed the singing of the singers Reham
Abdel Hakim, Nasma Mahjoub, the Egyptian soprano, and the opera singer
Amira Selim, during a singing performance, an event that the whole world
witnessed with great interest.
Mahilian is known for her participation as a “model” for several brands inside
and outside Egypt. She also enjoys a variety of artistic contributions, played the
role of “Engy El Mougy”, in the first part of the series “Kalbash”, starring the
star Amir Karara, in 2017, and in the same year, she performed the character
“Michel” in the movie “The Monkey is Talking”.
Besides her career, Miral finds her passion in sports, especially football,
traveling, and all simple things. When it comes to fashion, Miral mostly goes
for classic looks despite her huge love for changing things up with a growing
talent and an effortless charm, she took no time winning hearts.
Armen Agop the Contemporary Artist
Artistic Journey
Agop is a minimalistic artist following an ascetic approach to abstract
sculpture, mainly using black granite and basalt. His work has also been
described as "Contrasting Art" where the contemporary and the ancient meet;
his artistic presence springs from his cross-cultural philosophy. His sculptures
can be staggering, often appearing as futuristic beings or UFOs, and at the
same time, remind one of the sagacity of ancient Egyptian art in its powerful
lines and simple forms.
"The ancient and the contemporary may seem very different, but I think the
essentials are the same", he said in Art Plural: Voices of Contemporary Art
(2014).
Through his meditative practice in his work, he developed a personal relation
with matter and time, resulting in works that describe accurately, mysterious
entities.
Awards
In 2000, Agop was awarded the Prix de Rome, the State Prize of Artistic
Creativity in Egypt. In 2013, he was awarded the Premio Sulmona, Rassegna
Internazionale D’Arte Contemporanea, and Presidential Medal of the Italian
Republic.
His works are represented in the Egyptian Modern Art Museum, Egypt, Villa
Empain/Boghossian Foundation in Belgium, Giardino di Piazza Stazione in
Barge, Italy, and Coral Springs Museum of Art in Florida, USA.
The talented man we lost
Dr. Viken Djizmedjian left our world a few days ago at 61, after a short illness.
He was a dentist by profession, known to most of the Egyptian sports
community as one of Egypt’s sports administration pioneers. He was a
dedicated fan of Egyptian football club Zamalek and had a long history in the
Century Club case that broke out between the Whites and Al-Ahli.
Former minister of youth and sports Khaled Abdel-Aziz mourned him: “God
bless your soul, my friend. You were a wonderful and knowledgeable person.
We collaborated in organizing the 2006 African Nations Cup and the World
Youth Cup in 2009.”
Djizmedjian was a member of the Egyptian Football Association and former
public relations and information director for the Confederation of African
Football (CAF). Additionally, he was chairman of the Armenian General
Benevolent Union (AGBU) Cairo District and an active community member
until his death.