FLAGGLE

flag of Algeria

History

The flag of Algeria began as a military banner. The original design did not contain the star and crescent, but it was the first Algerian flag to display the green and white split design. The first designs were first raised by Emir Abdel Kadir when he led the defense against the French army during the Invasion of Algiers in 1830. Emir’s grandson Khaled and the nationalist leader Ahmed Messali Hadj also used the same design in the 1920s in defiance to French rule. Finally it was flown over an independent Algeria on 3rd July 1962. The flag has changed multiple times over the years. When the Ottomans conquered Algeria in 1525, the flag was changed to red with a yellow crescent. In 1830, the French invaded and took Algeria from the Ottomans and flew the flag of France in Algeria. During the struggle for independence, the exiled government of Algeria adopted a green and white flag based on the one flown by Emir Abdel Kadir but with slightly different dimensions. This version of the flag was used until 1962 when Algeria became an independent state and adopted the current flag. The emblem on the flag can be traced back to the Ottoman Empire, which ruled over Algeria for 300 years until the French invaded. The Ottoman flag provided the star and crescent emblem that can be found on the current flag.

Meaning

The green color in the flag of Algeria symbolizes prosperity and is a popular symbol of Islam, a color that that Algeria shares with many other nations in the Middle East. Green is popular within Islam as it is said to be the favorite color of Prophet Muhammad, his daughter Fatima and color of paradise in the Quran. The white color characterizes peace. The star and crescent are symbols of the nation's Islamic history, while being colored in red to signify the blood shed during the war of independence. The use of red in the Algerian flag is perhaps another link to the Ottoman Empire, which used a red flag to represent itself.