Evolution of the Old Egypt Flag

On February 15, 1915, the tricolour flag  was flown for the first time as a symbol of liberalism. The flag consisted of red, black, and white colours. The British created Egypt as a protectorate to dissolve Egypt’s links with the Ottoman Empire. Consequently, the Egyptian flag symbolises not just the country’s independence but also the Egyptian people’s determination. The flag represents Egypt’s sovereignty and lengthy history and serves as a reminder of what Egyptians can do when collaborating.

History of the Egyptian Flag 

Egypt has a lengthy and illustrious past. The Muhammad Ali Dynasty designed the first national flag. Under his authority, Egypt and Sudan were unified. The British controlled the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan from 1899 until 1956. The English tricolour banner was the region’s flag, consisting of red, white, and blue colours.

On the other hand, Egypt was a member of the Ottoman Empire at the time. As a Khedivate, the nation had significant autonomy while it was an Empire dominion. The old flag of Egypt had three white stars and a white crescent on a green background, and it depicted Ali’s forces’ victories in Africa, Europe, and Asia. The flag symbolised Ali’s rule over Hejaz, Sudan, and Egypt. The old flag of Egypt was comparable to the banner of the Ottoman Empire. To overthrow the Ottoman Empire, Ali chose a banner that was remarkably similar to theirs. Egypt preserved its flag when Ottoman rule ended in 1914. The British invasion of the country in 1882 sparked nationalist fury.

Egyptian Flag: 1919-1923

In 1919, a revolution started. The revolutionaries waved a green flag with a white crescent and cross. This symbolised the unity of Christians and Muslims in their quest for freedom. Britain agreed to give Egypt independence in 1922 under the condition that Egypt would only be free if Sultan Fuad changed his title to King.

Following Egypt’s independence on December 10, 1923, the old flag of Egypt was legally recognised again. The three stars reflect the kingdom’s three principal borders: Egypt, Sudan, and Nubia. The primary faith, Islam, was represented by the colour green. The three stars, according to some, symbolise the three major world religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

The free officers rejected the monarchy’s flag and replaced it with a new one after the revolution of 1952. The Revolutionary War symbol and Saladin’s Eagle were placed in the centre of the new flag, with horizontal red, white, and black stripes. Even after the Kingdom was dissolved and the Egyptian Republic was established on July 18, 1953, this new flag was flown alongside the national flag but never got official recognition, despite being in use.

Egyptian Flag: 1961-1984

The national flag of the United Arab Republic is based on the 1958 independence banner. The Golden Eagle has been replaced with two stars representing the union of Egypt and Syria, and Syria quit the Arab Republic of Egypt in 1961.

In 1971, Egypt was called the Arab Republic of Egypt. The UAR flag was superseded when Egypt, Syria, and Libya founded the Federation of Arab Republics in 1972.

Egypt kept the flag when the Federation of Arab Republics disbanded in 1977 until October 4, 1984. The Quraish hawk has been removed from the flag and coat of arms. In addition, the banner’s red colour was modified to a deeper red. On October 9, 1984, five years after the Federation, the Egyptian Eagle of Saladin was eventually put in the flag’s centre.

Egyptian Flag’s Meanings and colours

Do you know what the Egyptian flag represents? The national flag is quite important. The three colourful bands represent the Egyptian Revolution, its bloodlessness, and the end of Egyptian oppression. The national emblem, the Egyptian eagle of Saladin, is also depicted in the flag’s centre.

The Egyptian flag is red, white, and black in colour, and horizontal bars of the same size are used to depict them. The Egyptian Revolution is symbolised by a red ribbon at the top of the flag. The white ring symbolises the fact that no blood was lost throughout the battle. The lowest black circle represents the Egyptian monarchy’s authoritarianism. The national symbol, the Saladin Falcon, is also depicted in gold on the flag. This is the significance of the Egyptian flag’s colour meaning.

Interesting Facts about the Egyptian Flag

So are you wondering what some interesting facts regarding the Egyptian flag could be? Having more knowledge is also a blessing so let’s get into it:

• The Egyptian flag is flown atop all government buildings on Fridays and national holidays. It is also raised at the people’s assembly’s inaugural sessions and on any other occasion authorised by the Minister of the Interior.
• To celebrate the day of the revolution, the flag is flown at borders, embassies, and other government facilities every year on July 23.
• Misusing the national flag is a significant legal offence, and any breach is a kind of power abuse.
• Flags from the Ottoman Empire to the current day are displayed in a single line at the Egyptian Military Museum.

Conclusion

Egypt as a society has undergone several changes in its history of long existence, and as the socio-political and cultural aspects evolved, the state’s flag also witnessed several changes. Since the Ottoman Empire, Egypt has had numerous banners depicting its history.

The flags that Egypt used in different phases of its political history depict the common idea of the state of the mentioned time. The United Arab Republic, the colonised Egypt, to the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan all have seen notable changes in the flag of Egypt. Hence, it is so important to understand the Egyptian flag’s meaning.