The Republic of Azerbaijan

The Flag of Azerbaijan
Azərbaycan bayrağı


The current flag of Azerbaijan is a horizontal tricolour of light blue, red, and green. With a white crescent and 8 pointed star motif in the centre of the flag. The blue stands for Azerbaijan's Turkic heritage, the red stands for progress, and Europeanisation. The green stands for Islam.


The current flag was adopted on February 5, 1991. The flag is important to the Azerbaijani, as it is written into the nations constitution, and is mentioned twice in the national anthem.


The first Azerbaijani republic was established in 1918, upon the fall of the Russian Empire. The flag they adopted used the same design as the current flag, with some slight variations. The first Azerbaijani tricolour had a larger crescent emblazoned on the left, or hoist side of the flag.

Historically, the origins of the flag is unclear. Most tend to agree that Alibay Huseynzadeh, one of the idealogues behind Azerbaijan's independence movement, developed the flag based on colours from 1895.


The flag also featured heavily during Azerbaijans time as one of the Soviaet Socialst Republics in the Soviet Union. Jahid Hilaloglu, in 1956, hung the Azerbaijani tricolour over the Maiden Tower, in protest of the Soviet government, and was subsequently sentanced to 4 years in jail.


Mammed Amin Rasulzade, in 1952, during the Republic day celebrations in Germany, raised the Azerbaijani tricolour, and asked "Who can be entrusted to take it away to Azerbaijan?" Gulmirza Bagirov finally returned that tricolour to Azerbaijan in the 1970's.