The Armenians of Singapore

The Armenians of Singapore are a small but historically significant community. The first Armenian merchants appeared in Singapore in the 1820s. In 1835 the Armenian Church of Saint Gregory the Illuminator was built and became the centre of the community, while Armenian Street and other streets bear Armenian names.

The Sarkies brothers founded the famous Raffles Hotel in 1887, and the Armenian woman Agnes Joaquim bred the orchid Vanda Miss Joaquim, which became Singapore’s national flower. In 2024 the community numbered about 80–100 people and is being revived thanks to specialists and entrepreneurs arriving from Armenia.

The group photograph shows women, men and children, with a clergyman in the centre.