Identity
Arameans.com is rooted in a clear but open identity: we are a platform created by and for Arameans / Syriac-Arameans — an ancient Semitic people whose language, Aramaic, once carried trade, diplomacy, and faith across much of the Near East, and whose descendants continue to live in the Middle East and around the world today.
Arameans in history
Our roots stretch back to Aramean communities in and around ancient Syria and Mesopotamia, whose cities, kingdoms, and villages gave their name to the Aramaic language and culture. Over centuries, that heritage flowed into the Christian Syriac tradition, whose liturgical language, melodies, and manuscripts still carry echoes of our ancestors.
Through empire and conquest, dispersion and persecution, Arameans did not vanish. Our presence persisted in villages, monasteries, city quarters and later in migrant neighborhoods and diaspora communities, where Aramaic/Syriac continued to be prayed, sung, and spoken.
Arameans today
Today, Arameans:
- worship in Syriac churches whose liturgy preserves our ancient tongue;
- maintain communities in Tur Abdin, Qamishli, Aleppo, Hassake, Jerusalem, and other parts of the Middle East;
- form vibrant diaspora communities in Europe, the Americas, and beyond;
- express their identity through flags, associations, youth groups, cultural centers, sports clubs, and media;
- work alongside other Syriac-speaking and Middle Eastern communities to defend human rights, preserve heritage, and build a more just future.
We understand Aramean not as a label frozen in antiquity, but as a living, evolving identity that we inherit, choose, and renew.
A respectful place within the wider Syriac family
Within our broader Syriac world, people use different names for themselves — Aramean, Syriac, Assyrian, Chaldean, Suryoyo, Suryaya, and more. These names carry memories of churches, empires, migrations, and modern politics.
On this platform:
- We affirm and center the Aramean strand of this shared heritage.
- We respect the self-designations of our relatives and neighbors.
- We encourage historically grounded dialogue, not rivalry.
Our commitment is to truth, continuity, and dignity — not erasing others, but making sure the Aramean story, in all its depth and complexity, is documented and heard.
What “Arameans” means for us
When we say Arameans, we mean:
- A people whose language and faith shaped civilizations.
- Communities that have carried Syriac-Aramaic prayer, song, and learning through persecution and migration.
- Families who kept their identity alive in small gestures: a lullaby, a proverb, a recipe, a surname, a village story told at the dinner table.
- A new generation that is rediscovering this inheritance and choosing it with pride.
Arameans.com exists to serve this people — to gather their past, reflect their present, and help them imagine a future worthy of their history.