Arabs in Bulgaria
Encyclopedia
Arabs in Bulgaria are the people from Arab countries, particularly Lebanon
, Syria
, the Palestinian Territories
, and Iraq
, who emigrated from their native nations and currently reside in Bulgaria. Most Arab Bulgarians are of Lebanese
or Syrian origin. In the forty year history of this community, 10,000 Arabs have migrated to Bulgaria. According to other data from two teams of anthropologists and sociologists, the number of Arabs in Bulgaria who are legal residents and officially have work permits was 17,000 people in 2004. Approximately the same number of Arabs reside in Bulgaria without official status.
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, the Palestinian Territories
Palestinian territories
The Palestinian territories comprise the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Since the Palestinian Declaration of Independence in 1988, the region is today recognized by three-quarters of the world's countries as the State of Palestine or simply Palestine, although this status is not recognized by the...
, and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, who emigrated from their native nations and currently reside in Bulgaria. Most Arab Bulgarians are of Lebanese
Lebanese people
The Lebanese people are a nation and ethnic group of Levantine people originating in what is today the country of Lebanon, including those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state....
or Syrian origin. In the forty year history of this community, 10,000 Arabs have migrated to Bulgaria. According to other data from two teams of anthropologists and sociologists, the number of Arabs in Bulgaria who are legal residents and officially have work permits was 17,000 people in 2004. Approximately the same number of Arabs reside in Bulgaria without official status.
Notable people
- Nidal AlgafariNidal AlgafariNidal Algafari is a Bulgarian director, former executive director of the Bulgarian National Television and political PR. He is a NATFIZ graduate. His father is Syrian, and his mother is Bulgarian. He is married to Madlen Algafari, with whom they have one son. Author and director of the...
- Hodor FakihHodor FakihHodor Fakih is a Bulgarian-Lebanese surgeon. He is a professor at the Dental Faculty of the Medical College. He is a specialist in maxillo-facial surgery, broken jaws treated in accident and beatings. He is one of the most famous surgeons in Bulgaria. He has also a private practice...
- Ashraf Al HajujAshraf Al HajujAshraf Ahmad El-Hajouj is a Palestinian-Bulgarian medic who was the principal defendant on the HIV trial in Libya. Born in 1969, he moved together with his parents to Libya in 1972 from Egypt, where his father was working as a senior teacher of mathematics. El-Hajouj grew up and studied in Libya...
- Aladin HarfanAladin HarfanAladin Harfan is a Bulgarian businessman of Arabic origin, who was born in the capital of Syria, Damascus.Aladin Harfan first visited Bulgaria in 1991. He has been a Bulgarian citizen since 2004....
- Dani KikiDani KikiDani Kiki is a Bulgarian footballer of Syrian descent, currently playing for Chernomorets Burgas as a midfielder. His mother is of Bulgarian descent, but his father is of Syrian descent.-Early career:...
- Bashar RahalBashar RahalBashar Mounzer Rahal is a Bulgarian actor well known for his role in the TV show "It Can't Be" equivalent of "'Saturday Night Live'"...
- Carla RahalCarla RahalCarla Rahal is a Bulgarian actress born in Dubai, UAE. Carla Rahal is mostly known for her roles in the "National Theater of Bulgaria". Carla is also a pop, R&B, singer, songwriter and producer...
See also
- Immigration to BulgariaImmigration to BulgariaImmigration to Bulgaria began in the early 20th century. The first immigrants in contemporary Bulgarian history without any Bulgarian ethnic origin were the Armenian refugees who fled at the time of the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire...
- Demographics of BulgariaDemographics of BulgariaThis article is about the demographic features of the population of Bulgaria, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....
- Immigration to EuropeImmigration to EuropeImmigration to Europe increased from the 1980s onward, as a result of people from developing countries wanting to escape war, oppression, natural disasters or poverty. Some EU countries saw a dramatic growth in immigration after World War II until the 1970s. Most European nations today have...
- Arabs in EuropeArabs in Europe- The Historical conquest :Arabs in Europe have a long history beginning with the Arab Empire when the Arabs conquered the Iberian peninsula, including what is now Spain and Portugal, and the island of Sicily in Italy. However, most of the Arabs of that time were expelled after the Reconquista...
- List of countries by immigrant population
- List of Lebanese people (Bulgaria)
- Islam in BulgariaIslam in BulgariaIslam is the largest minority religion in Bulgaria. According to the 2001 Census, the total number of Muslims in the country stood at 577,139, corresponding to 10 % of the population...