The flag is a banner of a certain color and size with the emblem depicted 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.
Saudi Arabia modern flag - description and meaning of symbols
The national flag of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a symbol of the state. It is a rectangle of dark green fabric . Aspect ratio - 2: 3. On a colored background, white depicts a shahada and a sword. Images occupy the entire canvas. The flag does not have a seamy side, as it is stitched from two identical panels.
Shahada is an inscription in Arabic (read from right to left), a testament of faith in Allah and the Prophet Muhammad. A rough 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.
Flag evolution
The historical facts of the appearance and further change in the appearance of the flag of Saudi Arabia are somewhat contradictory. At present, the study of his transformations continues, scrupulous work is underway to collect reliable facts. In general, the picture is that the earliest flag of Saudi Arabia appeared around the 18th century. He had a square shape. On the green canvas on the left side was a strip of white. The shahada occupied only the center of the banner and was depicted in a simplified version. The sword was missing from the flag. Only in 1902, his image was added to the canvas under the shahada. In 1927, the inscription increased and in the modern version occupies almost the entire flag field. The white bar on the lift disappeared.
The flag of Saudi Arabia of a modern form 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. Interestingly, no legal document was found fixing this modification. In 1950, an unusual photo of a 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, therefore it is a military flag, not a civilian one. Some historians, relying on the monarchical structure of the state, believe that depicting one or two swords on the flag is a matter of the king’s taste for a certain time.
Use of the symbol of 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 the flag of Saudi Arabia was displayed on the soccer ball issued by FIFA in 2002, along with the flags of the countries participating in the World Cup, the officials of this country protested vigorously. They stated that kicking on a script that was sacred for Muslims was unacceptable. On the same occasion, demonstrations of an indignant population swept across the country.
The flag of the Kingdom is always high in the sky. He is never let down, even in the case of mourning.
Misconceptions about the flag
Shahada is a very standard symbolism for the Muslim world. This is the sacred formula of monotheism 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 in front of you is the flag of Saudi Arabia. A black or white background for symbolism has been used by some extremist Islamists since 2001. The flag of the kingdom is always dark green.