Arshak Poghosi Poladian, born on May 15, 1950, is a highly esteemed Armenian diplomat, renowned historian, accomplished orientalist, and prolific author. Since 2019, he has admirably served as Armenia’s ambassador to Tunisia and Morocco, residing in Yerevan. Before this role, Poladian held the position of ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Syria from 2007 to 2018 and functioned as Armenia’s non-resident ambassador to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan from 2011 to 2018. Furthermore, he was the Armenian ambassador to the United Arab Emirates from 2002 to 2006 and the non-resident ambassador to the State of Kuwait and the Kingdom of Bahrain from 2003 to 2007.
Poladian is a distinguished expert in Oriental, Arabic, and Kurdish studies. He has published numerous significant research papers and authoritative monographs on the origins of the Kurds, meticulously drawing from Arabic sources.
Education
Arshak Poladian was born on May 15, 1950, in Ras al-Eyn, a town in the Syrian province of Hassaka. He lived in Syria until 1963, when, at the age of 13, he immigrated to Armenia with his family. He obtained his BA and MA in history from the Faculty of History and Geography at Yerevan State Pedagogical Institute, studying there from 1968 to 1972. From 1978 to 1982, he served as a visiting scholar at the Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) Institute of Oriental Studies, which is part of the Soviet Union Academy of Sciences.
Diplomatic Service
In 2000, Arshak Poladian was appointed as Chargé d’Affaires of Armenia in the United Arab Emirates. In 2002, he achieved the diplomatic rank of ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, becoming Armenia’s first ambassador to the UAE, a role he held until 2006. Concurrently, Poladian served as a non-resident ambassador to the State of Kuwait and the Kingdom of Bahrain from 2003 to 2007. He presented his credentials to Sheikh Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain, on April 26, 2004, and to the Emir of Kuwait on November 2, 2004, as Armenia’s non-resident ambassador. On August 23, 2007, an executive order from the president of Armenia appointed Poladian as the ambassador to the Syrian Arab Republic. In 2011, he also became the non-resident ambassador to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. On October 25, 2018, a presidential executive order recalled Poladian from his positions in Syria and Jordan. At a farewell ceremony organized by the Syrian Foreign and Expatriates Ministry on Thursday, November 15, 2018, he was honored with the Syrian Order of Merit of the Excellent Degree.
Academic Career
Poladian is a recognized expert in Oriental, Arabic, and Kurdish studies, having published several papers and monographs on the origins of the Kurds based on Arabic sources. He earned his PhD in History from the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia in 1984, and later received a State Doctorate in Historical Sciences from the same institution in 1996. From 1967 to 2000, he worked at various scientific and educational centers, holding several notable positions, including Professor of Arabic Studies at Yerevan State University, and Scientific Researcher at both the St. Petersburg branch of the Institute of Oriental Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Oriental Studies.
Among Poladian’s significant studies are “Kurds in Arabic Sources” (Yerevan, 1987, in Russian), “Kurds” (Ankara, 1991, in Turkish), “Studies in the History and Culture of the East” (Abu Dhabi, 2001), “History of Arab-Armenian Relations” (Abu Dhabi, 2002), and “Islam: Religion & State” (Abu Dhabi, 2003). In 2004, his Arabic-language book “The Origin of the Kurds in Arabic Sources” was published, based on his earlier work “Kurds in Arabic Sources” with slight additions and modifications. This earlier publication was translated into Arabic by Dr. Khatchadour Kasbarian and Abdul Karim Aba Zid.
Poladian’s other publications, particularly those on Armenian-Arab relations, significantly contribute to the understanding and dialogue between Armenians and Arabs. Key works in this domain include “Armenia and the Arab World” (Damascus, 2007), “Eyewitnesses on the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire” (published in Arabic and Armenian, Damascus, 2015 and 2017), and “History of Arab-Armenian Relations” (Abu Dhabi, 2002). His research not only explores cultural relations and dialogue between the nations but also discusses the Arab role in assisting Armenians during the Genocide and documenting these events. This aspect of history, particularly the humanitarian efforts by Arabs during the refugee crisis and the plight of orphans from Anatolia, is often understudied and underrepresented in historical discourse.
Selected Publications
- Kurds in the 7th-10th centuries according to Arabic sources, Yerevan (in Russian), 1987
- Kurds in Arabic Sources, Beirut (in Arabic), 1995
- Covers of Arabic manuscripts in Armenia, 8th-14th centuries, co-author with A. Khachatryan
- The Kurdish Marwanid dynasty and its relations with Muslim emirates (2nd half of the 10th century), Yerevan, 1985
- On the history of the spread of Islam among the Kurds, Moscow, 1982 (article)
- The Kurdish Marwanid dynasty’s relations with the Byzantine Empire (10th-11th centuries), Yerevan, 1998 (article)
- The Islamization of the Kurds, Acta Kurdica, vol. 1, London, 1994
- Kurdish tribes in the 7th-10th centuries in Arabic sources, Yerevan, 1984 (article)
- The Yazidi religion (main deities and holy book), co-author with G. Asatryan, Yerevan, 1982 (article)
- The medieval hypothesis on Arabic origin of Kurds, Yerevan, 1981 (article)
- The socio-ethnic meaning of Kurd in Arabic sources, Yerevan, 1983 (article)
- Social-economic situation of Kurds in Fars region, Yerevan, 1982 (article)
- Reasons for the movements of Kurds in the Arab Caliphate, Yerevan, 1985 (article)
- Construction activities of Marwanid emirs Yerevan, 1986 (article)
- Kurdish military-political passages in Azerbaijan in the 1st half of 10th century” (article)
- Marwanid Kurds and Seljuks Yerevan”, 1996 (article)
- Kurds, Ankara (in Turkish), 1991
- Studies in the History and Culture of the East, Abu Dhabi, 2001
- History of Arab-Armenian Relations, Abu Dhabi, 2002
- Islam: Religion & State, Abu Dhabi, 2003
- Armenia and the Arab World, Damascus, 2007
- Eyewitnesses on Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire (Arabic), Damascus, 2014
- Western eyewitnesses on Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire (Arabic), Damascus, 2016
- Armenia yesterday and today (Arabic), Damascus, 2016
- Eyewitnesses on Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire (Armenian), Yerevan, 2016
- Syrian Arab eyewitness Fadhel al-Ghusein’s memoirs on the Armenian Genocide. Co-author with L. Sargsyan, (Armenian and Arabic), Damascus, 2017
Honors and awards
- 2006: UAE Order of Independence from the President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
- 2011: Gold Medal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia
- 2013: The Medal of Mkhitar Gosh from the President of Armenia
- 2018: Order of Civil Merit (Excellent Class) of the Syrian Arab Republic
- Awarded with medals and certificates from various Armenian and Syrian organizations
