The Armenian experience in Syria illustrates the process of diasporic community decline and reconstruction, a subject that has attracted little scholarly attention in ethnic and diaspora studies. The authoritarian system established since independence in 1946 rendered the community politically marginalized and in times of political crises used various forms of political violence. Upon assuming power in 2000, Bashar al-Asad maintained absolute command in party and military authority, which permitted little room for participation in the political process by ethnic communities. Nevertheless, in the mid-1990s the Armenian community appeared to have yet again recovered its cultural vitality, largely because of its good relations with the Asad regime. Its close ties with the state notwithstanding, the Armenian population in the country declined from an estimated 150,000 in the 1950s to no more than 60,000 prior to the current civil war. Chronic political instability, lack of economic opportunities, and compulsory military service, among other causes, are identified as contributing to emigration and decline. The crisis since March 2011 has accelerated the Armenian community’s attrition, giving rise to speculations regarding its future. This paper examines the causes of the community’s decline and the extent to which it can survive and rebuild after the current civil war.