Each state has its own distinctive symbols established constitutionally or by special law. This is an anthem, a coat of arms and a flag, fanned, as a rule, with legends and shrouded in stories. The symbolism of the state is considered not just a functioning formal system. It is a national treasure, including culture.
Symbolism gives the first idea about the state, about what values it adheres to. In such an Islamic country as Turkey, there is no legally approved state emblem as such. At the same time, instead of it, in many institutions you can see a semi-official emblem. It looks like a red oval with a vertically oriented crescent and star depicted inside it. The flag of Turkey also contains similar symbols. In addition, the official name of the state is written on the upper edge of the oval of the emblem. This symbolism - a star and a crescent - can also be seen on the foreign passport of Turkish citizens.
In 1925, the Ministry of Education of this country announced a competition for the best drawing for the national coat of arms. The project won in it, which depicted vertical stars and a crescent, and below was the silhouette of a wolf, personifying the "Turkic national symbol". However, despite universal recognition, this version of the coat of arms, like all the others, did not acquire official status.
Meaning and history
The flag of Turkey is a white crescent with a red banner. This bright color of the fabric, according to some sources, came from the ruler Umar, who was the conqueror of Egypt, Palestine and Mesopotamia. Since the fourteenth century, red has symbolized and the Star and Crescent have always been considered which the Republic of Turkey preaches. And this is despite the fact that religion is legally separated from the state, and the principle of freedom of religion is in effect.
Mismatch
Interestingly, the star was originally located inside the month. At the same time, from the point of view of astronomers, this was the wrong decision, since in this case the star was covered by the moon, or rather by its invisible part. Therefore, since the beginning of the twentieth century, according to the requirements of astronomers, the flag of Turkey, the pictures of which have remained unchanged, has been somewhat corrected. The star was nevertheless taken out of the crescent.
However, experts in this version find some, from the point of view of astronomy, a discrepancy. The crescent on the flag does not represent the one that a person can observe every month from the Earth, but its eclipse by an incomprehensible round object.
Origin of drawings
Some historians argue that the crescent, which has always been traditionally considered a symbol of Islam, appeared on the Turkish flag from the middle of the fifteenth century immediately after the victorious battle near Kosovo. Others say that it is borrowed from the emblem of Constantinople captured. Still others are sure that the image of the star of Jupiter with a crescent moon are the signs of the horoscope of Sultan Usman, who ruled at the end of the thirteenth - beginning of the fourteenth centuries. These symbols were considered the emblem of the dynasty of his reigning family.
There is another legend about their origin. It is associated with the distant fourth century BC, when the troops of the father of the famous Alexander the Great - commander Philip - besieged the ancient city of Byzantium, the current Istanbul. The encirclement was long and bloody. Residents resisted desperately, many of them died in the struggle for their freedom. And then the enemy decided in the dead of night to dig under this impregnable fortress.
However, suddenly, because of the black clouds, the moon and the star next to it shone. Their light was repeatedly reflected in the pools of blood spilled under the city walls. The sentinels noticed the enemy from the towers and raised the alarm. Philip's soldiers had to retreat with heavy losses, and the city was liberated. And as a memory of this event, and at the same time as a symbol of freedom, the crescent with a star became the emblem of Byzantium. After a long time, already in 1453, the horde of the Turkish Sultan captured almost the entire Eastern Roman Empire. The emblem was transferred to the banner of the winner, and since then the flag of Turkey has been a red banner with a crescent and a star.
blue flag
When planning a vacation by the sea, many are guided by the presence of the Blue Flag. Since 1987, this international award has been given annually to those equipped beaches, the water of which meets quality standards, which means it is safe for swimming. This nomination is managed by the Foundation for Environmental Education - FEE. More than sixty states participate in this program. Turkey did not stand aside either. The "Blue Flag" last year brought it to the third position among the countries in which maritime tourism is developed. 389 beaches, thirty-two more than the year before, have been awarded by the FEE on a total of twenty-nine criteria.
In addition, Turkey is in seventh place in terms of the number of Blue Flags awarded to its marinas.
And hello again, folks! Last time () we finished with the styles of the moon and stars in Muslim states, and today we will start with them. There are 2 other countries whose flags display the above symbols, and whose flags are sometimes confused, are Algeria and Pakistan. In fairness, there are two more countries that have similar symbols - Mauritania and the Maldives, but their banners are difficult to confuse with all the others. Let's start with Algeria.
The flag of the Algerian People's Democratic Republic was adopted on July 3, 1962, immediately after receiving a positive result in the popular referendum on independence from France. The referendum was preceded by a bloody 8-year war with the Metropolis.
flag of algeria
The design of the flag has a collective image. On the one hand, the Dei (rulers) of Algiers have been using the white star and the moon since the 16th century as an autonomy of the Ottoman Porte. At the same time, the design of the moon was somewhat different from the Turkish and Tunisian ones, since the edges of the moon were somewhat elongated, and the star was inside the month. On the one hand, it is a Muslim symbolism. The emblem denotes divine patronage, growth, rebirth, and, together with a star enclosed within a crescent moon, paradise. And on the other hand, the Berbers, who in ancient times lived on the territory of Algeria, considered Ayur, the deity of the moon, whose sign was the crescent, to be one of their main deities.
national hero Emir Abd al-Qadir
The white and red stripe of the flag was apparently taken from the standard of the hero of the Algerian people, Emir Abd al-Qadir, famous for his courage, but at the same time for his kindness and tolerance on religious issues. According to modern interpretations, the colors of the flag symbolize Islam (green), purity (white) and freedom (red).
Flag of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in August 1947 immediately after the declaration of Independence from the British Empire. The author of the first draft of the flag is Amir-eddin-Khidwai, based on the banner of the All India Muslim League, which was introduced in 1906, which (the league means) in turn developed its banner based on the pennants of the Delhi Sultanate and the green banners of the Mughal empire.
Flag of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
The proportions of the sides of the flag of Pakistan are 2:3. The flag is a rectangular panel of dark green color. Along the base of the flag is a wide white stripe. A white pattern depicting a crescent and a star with five rays is applied on the green background of the cloth. The green color of the banner means the Muslims of the country - the white stripe - other confessions. The crescent symbolizes the adherence of Muslims to the lunar calendar, and the five-pointed star symbolizes the five pillars of Islam (Evidence of faith (or shahada), prayer (or salat), donation (or zakat), fasting (or saum) and pilgrimage (or hajj). White color scheme The star and crescent also symbolize the purity of the inhabitants (Pakistan literally means "country of the pure"), as well as development, enlightenment and progress.
one of the leaders of the All India Muslim League lawyer Said Amir Ali
Next, we will consider the flags of 4 states in South and Central America, which differ, but in some cases they can be confused. I'm talking about the banners of Argentina, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras.
The flag of the Argentine Republic has not changed since 1812. General and poet Manuel Belgrano is considered its creator, and June 20 (the day of his death) was declared a public holiday in Argentina - “Flag Day”. In truth, the Argentines have as many as 2 flags - the official ceremonial and festive. We can observe a similar picture in Poland.
Manuel Belgrano
The official ceremonial differs from the festive one by the image of a stylized yellow sun in the middle of a white stripe, which symbolizes Inti, the Inca God of the Sun and at the same time the May Revolution of 1810, which became the harbinger of Argentina's independence from the Spaniards. Therefore, this sign is often called the "May sun". The official version of the flag must always fly above the festive version, but in all other respects both versions of the national flag are considered to be full.
official ceremonial banner of the Argentine Republic
There are several meanings for the colors of the flag. In the main of them, white represents the clouds and snows of the Andes, and light blue represents the sky. According to another, blue color symbolizes the river La Plata, and white - silver (the name "Argentina" comes from the Latin name for silver, lat. argentum). The third meaning is the color of the clothes of the patron saint of the country - the Blessed Virgin.
La Plata River
The flag of Honduras was designed by the first president of the republic, José Maria Medina, and approved on January 9, 1866. Between the 2 stripes, which the Hondurans themselves call the color of "coastal turquoise", there is a white stripe with 5 five-pointed stars. These stars mean 5 states (Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Los Altos), which, as provinces, were part of the state called the United Provinces of Central America from 1823 to 1840.
The blue stripes symbolize the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean washing Honduras, as well as the sky, the ideals of brotherly love and the courage of the people. The white stripe symbolizes the goals of patriotism, purity, honesty, faith, obedience and goodness.
Flag of Honduras
The national flag of the Republic of El Salvador (translated from Spanish as the Savior) was adopted on May 17, 1912 and is based, like the Honduran one, on the flag of the United Provinces of Central America. The flag's stripes are blue instead of turquoise and not blue (as in Honduras and Argentina, respectively), and in the center of the flag is the country's coat of arms. The construction triangle (according to other versions Masonic) symbolizes equality; its corners represent the three branches of government: legislative, executive, and juridical. Volcanoes represent the five nations of Central America, washed by the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The triangle contains the symbols of freedom (Phrygian cap), the ideals of the people (golden rays) and peace (rainbow). The motto "Dios, Union, Libertad" reflects faith in God, harmony in the family and the independence of the people. The 14 leaf bundles represent the number of departments in El Salvador.
The blue stripes represent 2 oceans and the white stripe represents the world.
flag of el salvador
The same can be said about the flag of the Republic of Nicaragua - it was also based on the banner of the United Provinces of Central America. Adopted on September 4, 1908 and differs from Salvadoran in a slightly lighter shade of blue stripes, and in the coat of arms. The triangle is the symbol for equality. Five volcanoes represent the five countries of Central America, washed by the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The Phrygian bowl represents freedom; the rainbow symbolizes peace.
This flag is closest in meaning to the last flag of the United Provinces of Central America. It turns out that the flags of El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras were created on the basis of the banner of the United Provinces of Central America, and that, in turn, was taken as a basis, guided by the Argentinean. Hence the similarity.
banner of Nicaragua
Let's go ahead and talk about countries whose flags contain pan-Arab colors and whose banners are similar. Four colors are considered pan-Arab: red, black, white and green. All of them in one or another proportion and in various combinations are present in the flags of most countries of the Arab East. As a general rule, each of the above colors represents a certain dynasty or era: black is the color of the flag of the prophet Muhammad, white is the symbol of the Umayyads, green is the sign of the Fatimids, and red is the color of the Kharijites and Al-Andalusia.
map of the Umayyad Caliphate at its peak
But this is the general rule. And individually, each country has its own explanations for the meaning of color. Of all the states with pan-Arab flags, 4 are really similar. These are Egypt-Yemen-Iraq and Syria. All of them are tricolors with horizontal stripes. There is a red stripe at the top, then a white one, and finally a black one.
Let's start with the banner of the Republic of Yemen. After the unification in the early 90s of the Yemeni Arab Republic and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, a single country began to use the tricolor flag I have indicated above.
flag of yemen
Next, let's touch on the banner of the Syrian Arab Republic. Adopted March 30, 1980 (again). Previously, this flag was the so-called United Arab Republic (abbreviated UAR), a unitary state that includes Syria and Egypt and existed from February 1958 to September 1971. The 2 green stars represent Syria and Egypt as the two countries closest in spirit and true partners.
soldiers defending the Syrian borders
The flag of the Arab Republic of Egypt differs from the Syrian flag by the golden eagle placed in the center of the flag. The banner in this variation was adopted on October 5, 1984. In addition to the above pan-Arab meaning of colors in Egypt, it is believed that red symbolizes the struggle against the colonial regime, white - the "bloodless" revolution of 1952, and black - the end of the oppression of the British colonial regime. The golden bird in the center is the so-called "Eagle of Saladdin", the totem sign of the most famous sultan of the Middle Ages - Salah ad-Din, a Kurd by origin, but the ruler of Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Hijaz and Yemen.
Egyptian banner
Well, the last will be descriptions of the flag of long-suffering Iraq, the design of which has been changed six times over the past 60 years.
At the moment, the country, approved on January 22, 2008, has an inscription in green in Arabic on the middle white stripe “God is great” (Allah Akbar). There were attempts (primarily among the Kurds) to replace this flag with another, but they were unsuccessful.
modern flag of iraq
The next pair of flags that are often confused for some reason are the flags of Bahrain and Kuwait.
The current flag of the Kingdom of Bahrain was approved on February 17, 2002. The flag is a red cloth with a white vertical stripe at the pole, bounded by a zigzag on the right side. Proportion 3:5.
The color is taken from the standard of one of the Khajiit Mohammedan movements, which once had great influence in the region. The white stripe on the flag appeared in the middle of the 19th century as a sign of peace between the local tribes that formed the state and the British, who had interests in this region.
flag of the Kingdom of Bahrain
In 1933, the strip underwent some changes - its edge became zigzag. Finally, in 2002, the flag received its final design, the number of triangles on the zigzag edge of the white stripe was reduced to 5. This number is deeply symbolic and represents the five pillars of Islam. There is an alternative reading of the flag, but it is not very popular. The white stripe denotes the Sunni rulers of the country (and the Sunnis in the country are a minority, only 25%), the zigzags denote the royal crown, and the red color denotes the Shiite majority of the country.
Monarch of Bahrain Khalifa - ibn - Salman - al - Khalifa
The flag of Davlat Qatar, or otherwise the State of Qatar in its current state, was adopted in 1971. It, like the Bahraini flag, has a white zigzag stripe at the flagpole, but there are several significant differences:
1) the main color of the flag is not red, but darker - it is red-burgundy (which, by the way, bears the name Qatari red). This color denotes the blood shed by the patriots of the country in the struggle for its independence.
2) the number of triangles on the zigzag edge of the white stripe is not 5, 9, since Qatar became the 9th Arab state of the Persian Gulf recognized by Great Britain as a result of the Anglo-Qatari treaty of 1916.
3) Size and shape. The proportions of 11:28 make the Qatari flag the narrowest and narrowest among all the states in the world.
banner of Davlat Qatar
Next, let's compare the flags of Costa Rica and Thailand. These standards, in general, are completely different, but, nevertheless, for some reason they are often confused.
The 5-stripe flag of the Republic of Costa Rica was first in 1848, and the combination of white - red and blue was dedicated to the French Revolution. In 1964, a regulatory document was issued supplementing the state flag with a coat of arms. At the moment, a variant of the flag is used, both with and without the coat of arms. Band ratio: 1:1:2:1:1. The proportions of the flag are 3:5.
flag of costa rica
According to the interpretation of the country's authorities, the blue stripes of the flag mean a peaceful sky, the ideals of justice and perseverance in achieving goals, white - peace, wisdom and happiness, red - the blood shed by the patriots of the country for its well-being. An alternative option is as follows: the white and blue colors of the flag symbolize the independence of the country, and the red - civilization
On the coat of arms, the seven stars represent the seven provinces of Costa Rica, while the volcanoes represent the country's geographic position between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. The sun is an attribute of freedom, and ships symbolize trade.
Coat of arms of Costa Rica
The Kingdom of Thailand also has a 5-stripe flag, but the stripes are arranged differently. The center is blue, and the edges are red. The standard was established on September 28, 1917 and has its own name Tong Trairong, that is, the tricolor flag.
According to legend, the flag originally consisted of only white and red stripes, due to the fact that King Rama VI saw the flag hanging upside down, and so that this could not happen again, he created a flag that was symmetrical. However, in 1917 this banner was changed, and the central stripe became red. According to the official version, there were 2 reasons for this. Firstly, the king was born on Friday, and the color of this day for the Thais is officially blue, and they decided to please their monarch. And secondly, it is an expression of solidarity with the allies in the First World War (Great Britain, France, the USA and Russia), which had a combination of blue, white and red colors in their flags.
flag of the Kingdom of Thailand
There are also many versions of the color values of the flag. The main version is as follows: the colors red-white-blue symbolize the people-religion-king.
Turkish Republic there is no officially approved state emblem. Instead of a coat of arms, many state institutions in Turkey use a semi-official emblem- a red oval, in which a vertically oriented crescent and a star are depicted, similar to those depicted on the state flag of the country, and the official name of the country in Turkish located along the upper edge of the oval. On the cover of the Turkish foreign passport, a star and a crescent are depicted, as on the state flag of the country.
In 1925 the Ministry of Education of Turkey (MaarifVekaleti, now Eğ itimBakanl ığı) a competition was organized for the best design of the drawing of the national coat of arms. The project presented by Namik Ismail Bey was recognized as the winner, with the image of a vertical star and crescent and the silhouette of a wolf located below as a “Turkic national symbol”. However, he never acquired official status.
Emblem of the Ottoman Empire
Turkish flag red originates from Umar, the ruler of the Arab Caliphate in 634-644 and the conqueror of Palestine, Egypt and Mesopotamia. INXIV V. red became the color of the Ottoman Empire. The crescent with a star is the symbol of Islam.
It is noteworthy that initially the star was inside the month, which is incorrect from the point of view of astronomy (the star in this case was covered by the invisible part of the Moon), therefore, at the beginningXX century, according to the requirements of astronomers, it was taken out of the month.
Some sources indicate that the crescent, considered a traditional symbol of Islam, appeared on Turkish flags in the middleXV V. after the victorious Battle of Kosovo, others specify that it was borrowed from the emblem of Constantinople (now Istanbul) taken in 1453, others recall that the image of the crescent with the star of Jupiter was considered the horoscope of Sultan Osman (ruled at the end XIII - early XIV centuries), was the generic emblem of his dynasty.
True, the stars appeared on the flags of Turkey only at the beginningXIX century, then they were seven - and eight-pointed. The five-pointed star appeared in 1844. For a long time, the sacred green color of the Prophet Muhammad prevailed on Turkish flags, only in 1793 Sultan Selim III ordered to legitimize the color red.
By the time of its collapse in 1918, the Ottoman Empire had a flag, on the red cloth of which the sacred image of a white crescent and a five-pointed star was repeated three times. In 1923, the flag of the Republic of Turkey was installed, which still exists today. On May 29, 1936, it was officially approved in a ratio of 3:2.
Before the beginning XX century on the coat of arms of Turkey flaunted, against the background of war trophies, a shield with a golden month in a green field. The shield was crowned with a Sultan's turban. Decades have passed, Turkey has become a democratic state, the sultans have gone into the past of this country. In our time, both on the coat of arms and on the flag of this power, the pattern is the same - a golden crescent with a star on a red field. There are many legends about the origin of these symbols. One of them is connected with the distant year 339 BC. e., when the troops of Philip of Macedon, the father of the famous commander Alexander, surrounded the city of Byzantium, that was the name of Istanbul in ancient times. The siege was long and bloody, the inhabitants desperately resisted, many people died in the struggle for freedom. Then the enemy decided to dig under the impregnable fortress at night. But suddenly, because of the heavy clouds, a moon shone, and a star next to it, repeatedly reflected in pools of blood near the city walls. Watchmen on the towers noticed the enemy and raised the alarm. With heavy losses, Philip's soldiers retreated, and the city was saved. In memory of this event and as a symbol of freedom from invaders, the crescent with a star became the emblem of Byzantium. Centuries later, in 1453, the hordes of the Turkish Sultan captured the city, and then the entire Eastern Roman Empire. The emblem was transferred to the banner of the winners, and since then the crescent with a star has been emblazoned on the flag of Turkey.
It is noteworthy that initially the star was inside the month, which is incorrect from the point of view of astronomy (the star in this case was covered by the invisible part of the Moon), therefore, at the beginning of the 20th century, according to the requirements of astronomers, it was moved outside the month.
Some sources indicate that the crescent, which is considered a traditional symbol of Islam, appeared on Turkish flags in the middle of the 15th century. after the victorious Battle of Kosovo, others specify that it was borrowed from the emblem of Constantinople (now Istanbul) taken in 1453, others recall that the image of the crescent with the star of Jupiter was considered the horoscope of Sultan Osman (ruled at the end of the 13th - beginning of the 14th centuries. ), was the generic emblem of his dynasty.
True, the stars appeared on the flags of Turkey only at the beginning of the 19th century, then they were seven- and eight-pointed. The five-pointed star appeared in 1844. For a long time, the sacred green color of the Prophet Muhammad prevailed on Turkish flags, only in 1793 Sultan Selim III ordered the red color to be legalized.
By the time of its collapse in 1918, the Ottoman Empire had a flag, on the red cloth of which the sacred image of a white crescent and a five-pointed star was repeated three times. In 1923, the flag of the Republic of Turkey was installed, which still exists today. On May 29, 1936, it was officially approved in a ratio of 3:2.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, on the coat of arms of Turkey, against the background of war trophies, there was a shield with a golden month in a green field. The shield was crowned with a Sultan's turban. Decades have passed, Turkey has become a democratic state, the sultans have gone into the past of this country. In our time, both on the coat of arms and on the flag of this power, the pattern is the same - a golden crescent with a star on a red field.
There are many legends about the origin of these symbols. One of them is connected with the distant year 339 BC. e., when the troops of Philip of Macedon, the father of the famous commander Alexander, surrounded the city of Byzantium, that was the name of Istanbul in ancient times. The siege was long and bloody, the inhabitants desperately resisted, many people died in the struggle for freedom. Then the enemy decided to dig under the impregnable fortress at night. But suddenly, because of the heavy clouds, a moon shone, and a star next to it, repeatedly reflected in pools of blood near the city walls. Watchmen on the towers noticed the enemy and raised the alarm. With heavy losses, Philip's soldiers retreated, and the city was saved. In memory of this event and as a symbol of freedom from invaders, the crescent with a star became the emblem of Byzantium. Centuries later, in 1453, the hordes of the Turkish Sultan captured the city, and then the entire Eastern Roman Empire. The emblem was transferred to the banner of the winners, and since then the crescent with a star has been emblazoned on the flag of Turkey.
The state symbols of Turkey - the coat of arms and the flag - contain the image of a crescent and a five-pointed white star on a red background.
official interpretation. The history of the emergence of the modern flag of Turkey has several interpretations. Only the fact that the symbolism was inherited from the Ottoman Empire, a state that existed on the territory of today's Turkey until 1923, can be called obvious. Red became the color of the empire in the 14th century, and the Turkish rulers placed a crescent with a star on the flag as the main sign of Islam.
History of transformations. It is believed that the red color of the canvas of the Turkish flag is associated with the banners of the times of Umar, the Sultan of the Arab Caliphate in the 7th century and the conqueror of the territories of Palestine, Mesopotamia and Egypt. For a long time, Turkish flags were green, according to the Islamic interpretation of this color as sacred. In 1793, red became the official symbol of Turkey by decree of Sultan Selim III.
The star first appeared only at the beginning of the 19th century and was depicted as seven- or eight-pointed. In 1844, it became five-pointed.
Shortly before its collapse in 1918, the state flag of the Ottoman Empire was a red canvas with a triple image of a five-pointed star and a crescent. In 1923, the modern flag of the Republic of Turkey was approved. In 1936, proportions of 3:2 were officially established.
Theories and legends of origin. One of the myths connects the moment of the emergence of symbolism with 339 BC. e., when the army of Philip of Macedon laid siege to Byzantium (modern Istanbul). The resistance of the population was long and fierce, a significant part of the inhabitants of the city died. The enemy decided to dig the fortress at night. Suddenly, a month came out from behind the clouds, and a star flashed next to it, reflected in the blood of the dead soldiers. The moon illuminated the enemy troops at the walls of the fortress, and the sentinels raised the alarm. With heavy losses, Philip's army retreated. In memory of this battle and as a symbol of the liberation of the country from the invaders, the crescent and the star became the emblem of Byzantium. A few centuries later, in 1453, Turkish troops captured Constantinople, and then the entire territory of the Eastern Roman Empire. The winners borrowed the emblem for their own flag, after which it has remained unchanged until today.
According to another theory, the red color of the cloth corresponds to the old Turkish customs and symbolizes "sovereignty" or "power". The white color of the month and the star means greatness, strength, purity and justice.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, the coat of arms of the Ottoman Empire depicted a green circle and a month against the background of the rays of a star. Beneath it was a shield adorned with golden months and stars and topped with a sultan's turban. On both sides of the coat of arms, the red banner of the Ottoman dynasty and the green banner of Islam were depicted, as well as the military trophies of the empire.
The modern Republic of Turkey does not have an official state emblem. Instead, an emblem is often used - a red oval with an image of a vertically located white crescent and a star. This symbol is similar to the national flag of the country and is supplemented by the official name of the state in Turkish.
Modern symbols are respected among the population of the country and are placed in public and private institutions, as well as in private houses and apartments in Turkey.
