Armenians in Sudan

There is an Armenian community in Sudan estimated to be less than one thousand Armenians. Most are concentrated in the Sudanese capital Khartoum.
Sudan's Armenian community has its own church, the St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Apostolic Church (in Armenian Sourp Krikor Lousavoritch). It is under the jurisdiction of the Mother See of Holy Echmiadzin. Most of Sudana Hyes (armenian: "Sudanese Armenians") have immigrated to the U.S., Australia, UK & Europe.
The Armenian Community Club was a large establishment in Al-Amarat neighbourhood, and had its own indoor gathering hall, an outdoor dance hall with a full restaurant kitchen, a theatre stage, soccer field, and basketball court, also billiards rooms, and a very large swimming pool. It was a place where so many families used to gather nightly and have dinner.
The Sudana Hye community would invite singers from the U.S. like Adiss, Marten Yorgantz and Haro Pourian amongst others.
The club also organized weekly bingo events and annual balls where members from the Greek, Jewish, Syrian, Italian & Coptic communities would attend, to dance to Armenian and International music.
As the summer was very hot in Sudan, they would mostly stay outdoors at the Armenian Club and have dinner and the kids would play together. The community club’s land lease ended and has been given back to the Sudanese authorities, now the headquarters of the Sudanese Football Federation.
The Armenian church also had an Armenian school. There would always be events at the school where the children would practice poetry and sing Armenian songs. They learned Armenian as well as Sudanese Arabic. The community was very tight and bonded.
Many Sudana Hyes who left Sudan, wished the country was in a better state so that they could go back to the simple life and enjoy the kind, down to earth Sudana Hyes life was and once made Sudan their home.
To date, Sudana Hyes who immigrated communicate in the Sudanese Arabic dialect and are proud of their Sudanese heritage, food and culture.

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