Armenians in Spain

The presence of the Armenian community in the Kingdom of Spain, in the modern historical stage, begins in the 1990s when the Soviet Union ceased to exist.  The Republic of Armenia gained independence, and its borders were opened to the outside world.

Accordingly, the majority, if not all, of the Armenians settled in Spain consist of our compatriots who emigrated from Armenia.

It is also know that in the 1980s, very few families settled in Spain from the Middle East and the Islamic Republic of Iran, but their numbers were very limited.

Interestingly, there are traces of the presence of Armenians in Spain since the 16th century. In particular, several Armenian merchant families settled in the southern Spanish city of Kadis, which borders the Strait of Gibraltar, through which Armenian merchant ships passed as far as India.

From that period until today, a chapel adjacent to the Catholic Church has been preserved, where we see Armenian inscriptions, silver tiles with Armenian letters attached to the walls.

The current Armenian community consists entirely of Armenian citizens who emigrated from Armenia, who were mostly of a working class. The number of Armenians in the entire country of Spain does not exceed 15,000.

Armenians had settled in the largest cities of Spain: Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Valencia, Alicante, Malaga and Arnedo.

The Armenian Apostolic Church has been officially serving in Spain since 2009, as part of the Pontifical Legation ofthe Western Europe. The first official representative appointed by the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin until 2016 was Very Rev. Fr. Sasoun Zemroukhtyan.

Then, in 2017-2018, he was replaced by Very Rev.Fr. Sipan Gorgoryan.

From 2018 until today, the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church in Spain and Portugal is represented by Very Rev. Fr Shnorhk Sargsyan.