The Greek Current

The Greeks of Egypt: A bridge between Europe and the Middle East

Episode Summary

With diplomatic relations between Greece and Egypt deepening over the last years, there has been a renewed focus on the ties binding these two Mediterranean countries. One link that is back in the spotlight is the historic Greek community in Egypt. Steven Tagle and Professor Alexander Kitroeff join Thanos Davelis to look into this dynamic community and explore how their historical role as a bridge between Europe and the Middle East is all the more important today.

Episode Notes

With diplomatic relations between Greece and Egypt deepening over the last years, there has been a renewed focus on the ties binding these two Mediterranean countries. One link that is back in the spotlight is the historic Greek community in Egypt, which for the last 200 years has maintained ties with homelands on both sides of the Mediterranean Sea. Steven Tagle and Professor Alexander Kitroeff join Thanos Davelis to look into this dynamic community and explore how their historical role as a bridge between Europe and the Middle East is all the more important today.

Steven Tagle is a fellow from the Institute of Current World Affairs funded by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. He previously served as speechwriter for the US Embassy in Athens and as a Fulbright Fellow in Greece.

Prof. Alexander Kitroeff is a Professor of History at Haverford College who has written extensively on the history of Greece and the Greek diaspora. He is the author of the book: The Greeks and the Making of Modern Egypt

Read Steven Tagle’s latest piece here: Letter from Egypt: Historical ties to Greece hold fast

You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:

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