| Group: | Armenians in Jordan |
| Popplace: | Amman, Ma'an, Shobak, Al Karak, Madaba, Russeifa, Zarqa, Irbid, Aqaba |
| Pop: | 3,000 |
| Langs: | Armenian, Jordanian Arabic[1] |
| Rels: | Armenian Apostolic Church |
Armenians in Jordan are ethnic Armenians living in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. There are an estimated 3,000 Armenians living in the country today with an estimated 2,500 of them being members of the Armenian Apostolic Church,[2] and predominantly speak Western Armenian dialect.[3] Armenians make up the biggest majority of non-Arab Christians in the country.[4]
There were about 6,000 Armenians living in Jordan during the period 1930-1946. After the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, a new wave of immigrants came from Palestine to Jordan increasing the number of Armenians to about 10,000. However starting in the 1950s, and particularly after the 1967 Arab-Israeli Six-Day War, Jordan witnessed the emigration of many Armenians to Australia, Canada and the United States a trend that continued in the 1970s, reducing the numbers of Jordanian Armenians to about 3,000.
The majority of these Armenians are the descendants of survivors from the Armenian genocide during World War I who were deported from the Ottoman Empire in Anatolia and Cilicia or fled to Syria and then Jordan. The early Armenian refugees in Jordan resided mainly in places like Ma'an, Shobak, Al Karak and Madaba and Russeifa. Nowadays, the majority of the Armenians lives in the capital Amman, with a few families in Irbid, Aqaba, Madaba and Zarqa.
Armenians have worked in photography, fashion, car mechanics and in professional businesses and small trade.
Most Armenian organizations and schools and religious structures are located in Amman's Jabal Al-Ashrafieh neighborhood also commonly called the Armenian Neighborhood (in pronounced Hayy al-Arman).
While most Armenians have now moved out of the Armenian quarter in Amman, the Armenian quarter currently comprises two Armenian churches. Armenians in Jordan are mainly followers of the Armenian Apostolic Church, under the jurisdiction of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The patriarch of Jerusalem assigns a bishop to the Jordanian diocese. A small minority of Armenians in Jordan belong to the Armenian Catholic Church.
The churches:
Armenian education is very important in maintaining Armenian language and identity among the Armenian community in Jordan. Amman is host to many Armenian institutions, long-running schools and cultural associations. Armenian students, who graduate from those community schools, can immediately enter the Jordanian High school system, after passing the elementary school classes.
First Armenian school was founded in Jabal Al-Natheef in Amman . Called Hetoumyan Azkayeen Varjaran, it operated in the 1930s. Another smaller school operated in Russeifa founded by Samuel Agha Serpekian.
Currently, two Armenian elementary schools operate in Amman:
The majority of Armenian organizations are based in Amman. Those organizations aim to serve as a gathering for members of the Armenian community through engaging in various activities such as arts and culture, sports, dance, scouting, women activities, youth and charitable associations, and celebration of national events.
WSC currently have a Chess Team and active in Jordan League tournaments, and hosted many tournaments on the occasion of King Abdullah's Birthday and Jordan Independence Day for the last decade.
Basketball is the most prominent of the activities of the two Armenian sports clubs Watany Sporting Club and Homenetmen. They both had prominent basketball teams and played in the official Jordanian Basketball League in first and second division starting 1950s and until the 1990s.
Some Jordanian Armenian players have represented Jordan and were members of the Jordanian National Basketball Team. In addition, Watany Sporting Club won Jordanian Basketball League tournament in 1963.