Modern Flag of Saudi Arabia - Description, Evolution and Misconceptions

The flag is a cloth of a certain color and size with an emblem on it. This is a national symbolism, a sign of belonging to any state. In the modern world, the colors, shapes, sizes and images on the flag are officially approved at the state level.

Modern flag of Saudi Arabia - description and meaning of symbols

The national flag of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a symbol of the state. It is a rectangle made of dark green matter . Aspect ratio - 2: 3. On a colored background white is depicted shahada and sword. Images occupy the entire area of the canvas. The flag does not have a reverse side, because it is sewn from two identical panels.

Shahada is an inscription in Arabic (read from right to left), a testimony of faith in Allah and the Prophet Muhammad. An approximate translation means "There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is His messenger." The image of the sword symbolizes the victory of the brave warrior Abdel ibn Saud, who is considered the founder of the country.

Evolution of the flag

The historical facts of the emergence and further changes in the appearance of the flag of Saudi Arabia are somewhat contradictory. Currently, the study of his transformations is ongoing, scrupulous work is being done to collect reliable facts. In general, the picture is that the earliest flag of Saudi Arabia appeared around the 18th century. It had a square shape. On the green canvas on the left side was a strip of white. Shahada occupied only the center of the cloth and was depicted in a simplified version. The sword was not on the flag. Only in 1902 on the canvas under shahada was added his image. In 1927, the inscription increased and in the modern version takes up almost the whole field of the flag. The white band on the lift disappeared.

The flag of Saudi Arabia of a modern type as a state symbol was officially approved in March 1973. Later, in 1984, the design of the hilt of the sword changed - it began to be depicted in a more simplified form. It is interesting that a legal document fixing this modification has not been found. In 1950, an unusual photo of the state symbol was discovered - the flag of Saudi Arabia is depicted with two crossed swords. One explanation for this version of the symbol: the army of Ibn Saud carried it during the conquests, so it's a military, not a civilian flag. Some historians, relying on the monarchical structure of the state, believe that it is a matter of the king's taste for a certain time to depict one or two swords on the flag.

Use of the symbol of the state

The inscription on the flag - shahada - is a sacred symbol. Therefore, her images are prohibited by law for use in everyday life: on posters, T-shirts and souvenirs. When on the football, released by FIFA in 2002, along with the flags of the countries participating in the World Cup, the flag of Saudi Arabia was portrayed, then the officials of this country protested with ardent protest. They said that kicking by a sacred inscription for Muslims is unacceptable. On the same occasion, demonstrations of indignant people swept the country.

The flag of the Kingdom is always high in the sky. He is never lowered, even in the case of mourning.

Misconceptions about the flag

Shahada is quite standard symbolism for the Muslim world. This sacred formula of monotheism is depicted on the flag of the Palestinian "Hamas", it is used by the organization "Hizbut-Tahrir al-Islami". It is present among jihadists and members of the Caliphate movement, on the flags of the Taliban in Afghanistan, among various armed Muslim groups. Therefore, the presence of shahada does not mean that you have the flag of Saudi Arabia before you. A black or white background for symbolism is used by some extremist Islamists since 2001. The flag of the kingdom is always dark green.