Official coat of arms of Iraq

For all of its sovereignty, Iraq has succeeded in replacing the five arms. Not all of them radically differed from each other. However, these changes, albeit small, are worthy of separate consideration.

National Emblem of Iraq

Any sovereign state has its own set of official symbols, which include a flag, a coat of arms and a national anthem. In some cases, there are additional attributes of state power. Such as the crowns of monarchs or the presidential press.

Understanding what the coat of arms of Iraq is will help to understand its importance for the political life of the country. In Iraq, this symbol is designed not only to represent the state on the outside scene, but also to set the tone for domestic policy, defining secularism or, on the contrary, religiousness of the state.

The first coat of arms of Iraq appeared after gaining independence from the Ottoman Empire. Liberation from colonial dependence became possible thanks to the intervention of the British Empire. Perhaps that is why the form of government of the new Iraq has become a monarchy, with all its attributes.

The first - the monarchical coat of arms - was in use the longest - thirty-seven years. The emblem of the kingdom consisted of a scarlet royal cape crowned with a precious crown. Against the backdrop of the scarlet cape there was a round shield, with a lion and a horse at the sides. At the feet of the animals lay an olive branch and cotton.

The arms had to symbolize friendliness and commitment to peace and tranquility. Indeed, the Kingdom of Iraq led a fairly balanced policy, had good relations with the major powers. It is worth noting that all these symbols and colors are borrowed from the European heraldic tradition.

However, a sensible foreign policy did not protect the royal regime from internal turmoil. In 1959, the kingdom ceased to exist.

Symbols of the new republic

Following the liquidation of the monarchy and the proclamation of the republic, new state symbols were adopted. In order to disassociate themselves from their predecessors on a symbolic level, the new government has chosen the most ascetic and expressive visual style.

The center of the composition was an eight-pointed red star, inside which was placed a round shield with a wheat ear in the middle. On the edges of the coat of arms were inscriptions in Arabic and images of local type of cold steel.

This coat of arms lasted six years, after which it was replaced by a new one.

Iraq's coat of arms: value, description

From now on, the main element of all subsequent state arms will be the Eagle of Saladin, which occupies a central place on the coat of arms. And although later the coat of arms will still be amended, they will all refer only to minor elements, while the ravenous bird will steadfastly occupy the space assigned to him.

The eagle is made in an extremely concise graphic style, using yellow and black heraldic colors. The eagle rests on two legs, its wings at that are widely spread. Head with a pointed beak looks to the left. The green ribbon under the eagle's feet is decorated with an inscription in Arabic.

On the chest of the eagle there is a shield painted in the colors of the national flag. Initially, the flag strip was placed vertically, and on the central white strip were placed three green stars. In this way, the coat of arms lasted until 1991.

Adding takbir and the emergence of Islamic symbols

In 1991, the stripes of the flag on the eagle's breastplate were turned to the horizontal plane, and between the stars inscriptions were added that bless Allah. From this moment the coat of arms ceases to be exclusively secular, and manifests the Muslim orientation in state policy.

Such a coat of arms existed for thirteen years and was supplemented in accordance with the new flag of the state adopted after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. The font of Takbir was changed with the intention to distance itself from the Arab world. At the same time the Saladin Eagle is widely distributed in the heraldry of the Arab states and is present, including, on the flag of the Egyptian Republic.