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Reference to the historian Movses Khorenatsi, Armenians were living in Iraq since ancient times. In the seventeenth century and by the time when Persians occupied Armenia, Shah Abbas moved 12.000 Armenians from Armenia to New Julfa (Ispahan). After the death of Shah Abbas Armenians in Iran were subjected to harassments, so they started to immigrate and spread in large numbers to Iraq and India. Some of them didn’t continue their way to India but settled in Basrah. Later on, Armenians immigrated to Iraq from the regions of Tigranakert, Urfa, Adana and Izmir. At the early ages Armenians were not organized and unified in Iraq, the Basrah community followed Archdiocese of Isfahan and the Baghdad community followed the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin.
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