State flag day

STATE FLAG DAY

November - December 2010

The word bayrag (flag) is Turkic in origin. It is mentioned in the 11th century dictionary Divani-lugat-it-turk (dictionary of the Turkish language) of Mahmud Kashkarli, both in the modern meaning and in literal meanings of the word bayrak – batrak. The word bayrag has the same meaning in most ancient and modern Turkic languages. Batrak, bayrak originated from the verb ‘to stick in’, to thrust (batir – batirmaq, sanjmag). Alongside bayrag other words were also used to mean flag: tugra, bunjug, sanjag - which also arose from the verb meaning to thrust (sanjmag).

Archaeological finds in Azerbaijan confirm that flags to be used as standards were present even in the Bronze Age (4th – 2nd Millennium B.C.). Circular bronze boards and bronze standards in other shapes, decorated with various geometrical figures, such as a horned deer, an eight-pointed star and a radiant sun, were found during archaeological excavations carried out in Shaki and Shamkir; they were probably the symbols of the head of a tribe or ruling authority. Most of the standards found carried images of horned animals. These are also encountered in Assyrian reliefs of the 8-7 centuries B.C., depicting fortresses in Manna. Standards in these shapes probably served as talismans. In today’s Azerbaijan, the horns of goats and rams, animal skulls (dogs, horses, deer) are still fastened above gates and doors and used as symbols or talismans to protect against ‘the evil eye’ and malevolent deeds.

The Azerbaijani flag has an ancient history. The Albanian historian, Musa Kalankatli in his work, History of Albaniya devoted a section to the images of flags. The bodies of these flags were shaped as dragons or birds and were made from silk. Their shafts were made from silver and depicted the heads of mythical animals. Similar flags were widespread in Europe and other Eastern countries in the Middle Age.

Flags had a military significance. They were particularly protected during battles, their fall or capture by the enemy meant defeat. In the Book of Dede Gorgud Salur Gazan, who succeeded to taking vengeance for an attack by enemies, “cut the sanjag (the flag) of the kaffir with his tugh (sword) and threw it to the ground”. The images of a lion and a human face in the shape of the Sun (Shiri-Khurshid) on the background of the flag of the Safavids’ state, which was especially prominent in the history of Azerbaijani statehood, shows that the state was based on national traditions and ancient history.

The Azerbaijani khanates also had special flags. These flags were removed from Azerbaijan during the Russian occupation by various routes in the early 19th century and were later passed to the Caucasian Military Museum in Tbilisi.

In April 1919, during the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the question of returning flags which reflected the history of Azerbaijani statehood to their homeland was raised. Minister of Defence General Samad bey Mehmandarov, instructed Lieutenant Colonel Mammadbey Aliyev the Azerbaijan attaché in Georgia, to obtain the Georgian government’s consent to return to Baku the Azerbaijani flags and other symbols of state that were held in the Tbilisi Museum. This question was raised again at the First All-Azerbaijani Congress of Local History (September 1924) after the establishment of the Azerbaijan State Museum in June 1920. In the same year, the State Museum of History succeeded in obtaining the flags of the khanates, of Azerbaijani generals who had served in the tsarist army and of certain Muslim regiments.
The flags of the Azerbaijani khanates were triangular, quadrangular, and pentagonal in shape, were sewed from fine eastern fabric and decorated with various ornaments and inscriptions.

In general, the flags of the khanates differ in size, style and ornamentation. Silk thread in various colours was generally used.

During the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR), the first government resolution on the state flag was issued in July 1918. By this resolution, a white crescent and eight-pointed star were depicted on the state flag, which was basically red. This flag was only slightly different from that of the Ottoman Empire. This was misunderstood at the time and Azerbaijan began to be thought of as part of Turkey. So the government of the ADR decided to change the image. 
The Cabinet’s resolution read: “A flag consisting of the colours green, red and blue with a white crescent and eight-pointed star is to be considered the National flag”. Thus, on 9 November 1918, the three-colour flag of Azerbaijan was accepted as the State Flag.

The Azerbaijani flag consisted of three stripes of equal width. The upper stripe was blue, the middle stripe was red and the lower stripe was green. In the middle of the red stripe on both sides of the flag were depicted a white crescent and eightpointed star. The ratio of the flag was 1:2. The blue colour expressed Turkism, the red colour meant modernity and the green colour stood for Islam.

The crescent has been the emblem of Turks from ancient times. In Azerbaijani mythology, the moon is a male symbol and the star is a female symbol. The moon was also the emblem of Caucasian Albania. The priests of the Moon temple were regarded as the most holy men in Albania after the ruler. There are some explanations for the combination of the crescent and the eight-pointed star. According to the ADR it was an allusion to equality of rights for men and women. It was also seen as a symbol of happiness.

There is another explanation, that the eight-pointed star reflects the writing of the word “Azerbaijan” in the old alphabet. According to another version, the eightpointed star represented the “eight doors of Paradise”.

National parties, political organisations and societies and educational enterprises also had flags.

In 1956, Jahid Hilaloglu raised the three-colour flag on Maiden Tower as a protest against the existing Soviet regime. He was imprisoned for four years for this action and his accomplice was placed in a special clinic for mental patients.

The three-colour flag was waved again as a symbol of independence during the national liberation movement which began in 1988.

‘A flag once raised will never fall’

So said Mammad Amin Rasulzade, one of the founders of the ADR in 1918, and the flag was again given legal status by Heydar Aliyev. Thus, on 17 November 1990 on his initiative, the Supreme Mejlis (Assembly) of the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan accepted the three-colour flag as its state flag.

On 17 November 2007 the president of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, signed a directive to create State Flag Square in Baku. In December of the same year, the foundation of State Flag Square was laid near the Naval Base in the Bayil settlement of Baku. The directive defined the dimensions of the state flag as follows: the flagpole is 162 metres high, the flag’s dimensions are 35x70 metres, its area 2,450 square metres, its weight 350 kg. The ceremonial opening of State Flag Square took place on 1 September 2010. The flag of Azerbaijan is a symbol of the independence and freedom of the Azerbaijani nation.

The flag of Azerbaijan is the state’s emblem and its moral and political passport.