The Armenian Diaspora of New Julfa: Merchants, Spies, Silk

The Story of Armenia: Survival Through Empires and Genocide — Fexingo History · Jul 13, 2026 · 5m · transcript

In the early 17th century, Shah Abbas I of Safavid Persia forcibly relocated tens of thousands of Armenians from the borderlands to his new capital, Isfahan. Among them were the merchants of Old Julfa, who were settled in a suburb that became New Julfa, a vibrant center of trade, diplomacy, and espionage. This episode follows the rise of the Armenian merchant network from New Julfa, which stretched from Venice to Manila, controlling much of the silk trade and serving as spies for the Safavids. We explore the social structure of the community, its schools and printing presses, and its decline…