The flag of Egypt: history and meaning

Like many other countries, Egypt has experienced many state transformations and changes in its history. For a long time the country was a colony that did not have the right to national self-determination. The situation changed only at the beginning of the last century. How did this affect his flag and what is the modern cloth?

Modern appearance and history of occurrence

The age of some national symbols is measured in hundreds of years. About the flag of Egypt nothing like this can not be said, since it appeared only in the second half of the twentieth century. The width of the panel refers to the length in the same way that two refers to three. The flag is a tricolor with horizontal stripes of the same size, the first is red, then white is located, and finally the lower one is executed in black. In the center of the middle there is an image of such a national symbol as the golden eagle of Saladin. This flag of Egypt is used both as a civilian and as a naval one. This cloth was approved in 1984 and has not changed since then. For the first time, a state symbol of this kind was developed in the country in 1923. The Royal Decree approved him as a sign of independence from Britain, which was received on March 16, 1922. The first flag of Egypt, photos of which can be found now, was completely green, it housed a white crescent and three stars of the same color. In 1958, the light saw a tricolor with horizontal stripes, but unlike the modern version on the white part, two green stars were depicted. In 1972 they were replaced by a golden falcon, which was a symbol of the Federation of the Arab Republics, and finally in 1984 an eagle appeared on the cloth instead of it. So the flag came to its modern form.

Symbolism of the cloth

The values that the flag of Egypt expresses with its three colors are directly related to historical events in the state. The red color is meant to remind of the struggle with the colonial regime, white indicates a "bloodless revolution" that occurred in 1952, and black symbolizes the end of British colonial oppression. The golden bird is the symbol of Salah ad-Din or Saladin, the Sultan, who in the twelfth century led the struggle against the Crusaders. A similar image is also used in the state arms of the country. The so-called Saladin eagle is one of the most recognizable Egyptian symbols. Its use is rooted in the long past. For example, the image of such an eagle was found on the western side of the wall surrounding the citadel of Cairo, at that time it was Saladin's personal symbol. Since later it was used by other nationalists, in the version that uses the flag and the coat of arms of Egypt, the bird holds a gold ribbon in its paws. On it, a gold Arabic inscription is inscribed. It says the name of the state, namely the Arab Republic of Egypt.

National emblem

Important for the country is not just a flag. The State Emblem also matters, but in Egypt it also uses almost the same image as the flag. It is represented by a golden eagle that looks to the right and holds in its paws a pointed shield divided into red, silver and black patches. Under it is a tape with the Arabic name of the state. It was adopted in the same year as the modern cloth.