The Armenian community in Egypt marched to commemorate the Armenian Genocide Centennial. Photograph shared on Facebook by Kegham Karsian

Egyptian Armenians joined millions of people around the world to mark the Armenian Genocide Centennial yesterday [April 24].

The day marks the date when Ottoman authorities began rounding up around 250 Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in Constantinople, paving the way for the Armenian Genocide in which an estimated 1 to 1.5 million Armenian citizens of the Ottoman Empire were systematically exterminated between 1915 and 1918.

“Members of the Armenian community in Egypt commemorated the Armenian Genocide centennial at Egypt's Unknown Solider Memorial in Nasr City in a rally led by the scout boys and girls of The Armenian community in Egypt,” writes Egyptian blogger Zeinobia, on her blog the Egyptian Chronicles.

Armenians, says Zeinobia, have had a long and vibrant history in Egypt. She writes:

The Egyptian Armenian community has got a very long history in Egypt since the Middle ages and the rule of Mamluks. It is enough already that Queen or Sultana Shajar Al-Durr was said to be of Armenian origins according to some historical accounts.

In 19th century, the Egyptian Armenian community began to participate effectively in building the Modern Egypt we know now. We had several ministers in the 19th century from Armenian origin above them Nubar Pasha, Egypt’s first Prime minister.

After the Armenian genocide and its forced migration, Egypt received many of the refugees and survivors who found safe haven in this country.

Also Read: Millions of People Around the World Commemorate the Armenian Genocide

Zeinobia continues:

After 1952 and the nationalization policies adopted later by Nasser’s administration, many Egyptian Armenians left Egypt to Europe and to the United States.
Nevertheless, there are still thousands of Egyptian Armenians living now in Egypt quietly.
Most Egyptians now do not know that the Armenian community still got two daily Armenian newspapers and an Armenian school still operating in Cairo since the 19th century.
Already I pass by Kalousidan School, Egypt’s oldest private school in Boulaq, Cairo every day on my way to work.
There are two daily Armenian newspapers published in Egypt: Housaper and Arev. Both newspapers are among the oldest private daily newspapers in Egypt.

Egypt Does Not Recognise the Armenian Genocide

Despite this, the Egyptian government does not recognise the Armenian genocide. The Big Pharaoh comments:

In spite of current anti-Turkey sentiment and policy, Egypt does not recognize the #ArmenianGenocide.

— The Big Pharaoh (@TheBigPharaoh) April 24, 2015

Egyptian Amro Ali laments:

testimonies, photos, mass graves, news reporting as it unfolded, 100 yrs of scholarship – yet sadly denial of the #ArmenianGenocide persists

— Amro Ali (@_amroali) April 25, 2015

The Big Pharaoh shares this photograph from the event in Cairo:

Armenians in Egypt commemorated the 100th anniversary of the #ArmenianGenocide at Cairo's memorial of unkown soldier pic.twitter.com/3fxUEogAzB

— The Big Pharaoh (@TheBigPharaoh) April 24, 2015

And on Facebook, Kegham Karsian shares a photo album from the event.