Cultural Relations and Greek Community

The sizeable Greek community in Egypt (at its height the Greek population numbered 140,000) began to decline in the early 1950s (as a result of President Nasser’s nationalization programme) and now a few thousand Greeks are all that remain in Egypt. The largest communities are those in Cairo and Alexandria, followed by the Greek populations of Ismailia, Port Said and Kafr El Zayiat. But there are still a large number of Greek associations and clubs, as well as schools and cultural centres.

These communities apart, a further major focus of Greek interest is the Patriarchate of Alexandria, whose activities extend across the entire African continent. The Patriarchate’s relations with the Egyptian Coptic Church and the Egyptian state are excellent.