Flag of Afghanistan: history and meaning

The flag of Afghanistan not only tells a lot about the country, but it is connected with some interesting facts of world history.

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The modern flag of Afghanistan is used not for the first year, but it had many predecessors, which can not be ignored when studying its origin. The first official standard on the territory was the banner of the Durrani Empire. Tricolor with horizontal white-green stripes of equal sizes was used from 1747 to 1823.

After the Emir Abdur-Rahman came to power, the cloth changed radically. In the first twenty years of government, black was used as a state flag, without inscriptions and images. In 1901, Khabibullah Khan came to power, which slightly changed his father's cloth. The new flag of Afghanistan carried a white seal of the emirate on a black background. Under the rule of Amanullah Khan the cloth was changed again. To the press were added rays, which proceeded in the form of an octagram. This image was used until 1926.

After that, the country became a kingdom. The first royal flag of Afghanistan was also black, the prints disappeared around the seal, and the state emblem was markedly enlarged. Finally, in 1928 for the first time in history appears tricolor with a combination of colors, which is used to this day. At the time of his appearance, his interpretation was as follows: black represents the past, the struggle for sovereignty is a red band and hope for the future is green. It is believed that such a flag of Afghanistan appeared after Amanullah Khan visited Europe.

History of appearance

The current cloth was adopted in 2002. Minister Abdul Vakil Omari noted that, as before, the tricolor symbolizes different epochs. The modern flag of Afghanistan, photographs and drawings of which are widely used in the country, was developed on the basis of the standard adopted by Khan Amanullah. He was called to emphasize the difference between the new state and the monarchy, which existed from 1930 to 1973, and at the same time recalls the ancient cloths, the exact copies of which can be found in museums. They are associated with the times when this territory belonged to Persia and Shah Abbas.

Modern look

So, how does the current flag of Afghanistan look like? The meaning of this symbol is directly related to the history, so the first vertical strip on the panel is black, it is a monarchical color. Then there is a red strip of the same size, and behind it is a green one. In the center of the panel is the emblem of Afghanistan, developed during the days of the emirs. It is executed in yellow or gold colors. The emblem depicts a mosque and a prayer rug directed towards it for religious actions facing Mecca. Above the picture is an Arabic inscription with a sacred meaning. On each side are two flags that represent the state of Afghanistan, they are both attached to the mosque. Under it is written the name of the country in Arabic, the text is surrounded by sheaves of wheat.

Value of colors

According to the official interpretation, the black bar indicates the nineteenth century, the times of occupation, the red one is associated with the struggle for independence, and the green symbolizes the acquisition of sovereignty. According to another explanation, the dark color reminds of the former Afghan flags. There is also an opinion that the red color was copied from the flag of the Soviet Union. Finally, the traditional interpretation of green explains it as a shade of Islamic religion. It is in this sense that it is used in the symbolism of most Arab and Muslim countries. An interesting fact is related to black color. Flags, completely executed in one shade without a picture, are used very rarely, which makes the standard of the old times unique.

State Emblem

It is impossible to fully understand the heraldry of the country on a single sheet only. The most important symbols representing Afghanistan are the flag and the coat of arms, so the latter should also be studied. It was adopted in the middle of the twentieth century, but the fall of the royal regime made some changes in its appearance. In 2002, when the interim government cooperated with America, the old coat of arms was returned for some time. Below is the date - 1298, which according to the Islamic calendar corresponds to 1919, when the sovereignty was proclaimed. Above is depicted shahada, this is a Muslim symbol of faith, sounding as "There is no deity except Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet." To pronounce these words is an important duty of every follower of Islam. The shahada is illuminated by the rays of the rising sun. Below are the words "Allah Akbar", and between them - a symbolic figure of the mosque, which is facing Mecca. There are Afghan flags on each side, and rows of wheat ears serve as frames, which are interwoven with ribbon. The emblem of the country is the most saturated Muslim symbolism and almost does not express any other features of the country it represents.