Flag of Azerbaijan

Flag of Azerbaijan until 9 November 1918

On 28 May 1918, Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) declared its independence. One of its first activities was the adoption of national symbols. Taking inspiration from the Ottoman Empire flag, ADR adopted its first state flag on 21 June 1918, which depicted a white crescent and a white eight-pointed star on a red background.[1][2] The new flag was almost identical to the old Ottoman flag, which also featured an eight-pointed star until 1844 when it was replaced by a five-pointed star.[1][3] The similarities between the flags reflected the hegemony of the Ottoman Empire, as well as the ethnic kinship between ADR and the Ottoman Empire.[4]

Within a few months, the newly-adopted flag began to be questioned due to it exclusively representing Turkism.[5] The new project was supposed to reflect three ideas: Turkism, Islamism and the desire for progress. These ideas reflected the official ideology of ADR, which was "Turkification, Islamization, and Modernization".[6][7][8] The formation of these ideas was influenced by the work of the philosopher Jamal al-Din al-Afghani (1838–1897), who, in his books "The Philosophy of National Unity and the True Essence of Religious Unification" and "Islamic Unity", wrote that the progress of Muslim peoples is possible under the condition of religious consolidation, national unity and the study of the progressive traditions of European statehood.[2]

On 9 November 1918 a draft of a new state flag was approved. This time the flag was a horizontal tricolour of blue, red and green with a white crescent and an eight-pointed star placed in the centre.[9][1] American vexillologist Whitney Smith notes that Ali bey Huseynzade was the author of the new flag.[10]

On 7 December 1918, the new state flag was raised over the parliament building. In his speech, Mammad Amin Rasulzade stated: "[...] and for this reason, gentlemen, the National Council has raised this three-coloured flag, which represents Azerbaijan, and this flag, the symbol of Turkic sovereignty, Islamic culture, and modern European power, will always fly above us. This flag, once raised, will never come down again."[11][12]

Flag of Soviet Azerbaijan 1952–1990. Ratio: 1:2

On 28 April 1920, Azerbaijan was proclaimed a Soviet republic. The national flags of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic were banned during this period.[13][14] Under Soviet rule, Azerbaijan SSR had eight different flags. Most of the flags only had slight differences. The adaptations were the result of the chaotic early years of the Soviet Union in the Caucasus. The first unofficial Soviet Azerbaijani flag was used when Russians conquered Baku on 28 April 1920.[15]

The first official flag was adopted in the first constitution, under Article 104, of the Azerbaijan SSR on 19 May 1921.[16] During the time the state language of Azerbaijan SSR was the Azerbaijani Turkic, the alphabet was based on the Arabic script. Therefore, the words A.S.R. were written in Arabic.[17] The eighth and final flag of Soviet Azerbaijan was issued on 7 October 1952. The design was similar to that of the Soviet national flag with a horizontal blue band added on the bottom taking up one-quarter of the height of the flag. The definition was as follows:

The national flag of Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic is a panel consisting of two horizontal bands of colour: the upper red part of three-quarters of the width and the bottom is blue, nearly one quarter the width of the flag with the image on the top left corner of the red band, at the flagpole and gold hammer and sickle, and above them a red five-pointed star framed by gold fringe. The ratio of width to length is 1:2.[18]

ADR flag made by Mammad Amin Rasulzade during the years of emigration

After the fall of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in April 1920, the flag of the ADR was used by emigrant organizations outside the borders of the USSR. During World War II, the ADR flag was used by military formations of ethnic Azerbaijanis who fought on the side of Nazi Germany — the battalions of the Azerbaijani Legion. On the sleeve emblems used on the uniform of the personnel of the Azerbaijan Legion, three horizontal equal stripes of blue, red and green colours were depicted with a white crescent and a five-pointed star on a red field.[19][12]

On 6 November 1943, a congress of Azerbaijanis, headed by the former Soviet major Abdurrahman Fatalibeyli, was held in Berlin.[20][21] Flags of ADR were raised at the congress and one of the decisions taken was the restoration of Azerbaijan's independence.[20] In 1922, the chairman of the Azerbaijani National Council, who declared the independence of the ADR, Mammad Amin Rasulzade fled from the Russian SFSR, through Finland to Turkey. There, in 1952 he made the flag of the ADR. He gave the flag to Gulmirza Baghirov and he secretly brought it to Azerbaijan in 1976 and hung it on his home in Maştağa.[22] It was given to the National Museum of History of Azerbaijan in July 2003 and has since been kept in the museum.[23]

In 1956, Jahid Hilaloglu raised the tricolour over Baku's Maiden Tower, showing his defiance towards the system. Hilaloglu was ultimately sentenced to four years of imprisonment and his supporter Chingiz Abdullayev was institutionalized.[24]

National Flag Square in Baku

During the late 1980s, unrest in Soviet Azerbaijan, the tricolour Azerbaijan Democratic Republic flag was used in demonstrations calling for independence.[25][2] On 17 November 1990 on the first session of the Supreme Assembly of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, the 1918 Azerbaijani flag was adopted as the national flag of the autonomous state.[26] This flag was later adopted when the decree, "On change the name and national flag of Azerbaijan SSR", was issued on 29 November 1990 and ratified on 5 February 1991 by the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SRR.[27][9] The first constitution since independence was adopted on 12 November 1995 after a national vote; one of the articles described the three-colour flag of the republic.[26][27]

On 17 November 2007, the Azerbaijani President issued a decree "On creation of the National Flag Square" in Baku.[28] The square has a flag pole with a mass of 220 tons and a height of 162 metres. The flag that is flown on this pole has an area of 2,450 square metres; the size of the flag itself is 35 meters wide and 70 metres long and weighs 350 kilograms.[29] A museum dedicated to the national flag was also built at this flagpole. On 1 September 2010 the flag was officially raised to open the museum; subsequently this flag pole became the world's tallest unsupported flagpole,[30] until being overtaken by the 165 meter Dushanbe Flagpole, Tajikistan.[31]

The bright blue symbolizes Turkism, the red reflects the creation of a modern state and the development of democracy, and green symbolizes Islam.[36][26] In the middle of the flag, and appearing on both front and back, are a white crescent and an eight-pointed star.[27][37]

The first President of the Azerbaijani National Council Mammed Amin Rasulzade noted in his speech, at the parliament's session of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, that the colours relate to Turkic freedom, modernity, and Islamic culture.[11][12]

While the crescent and star are typically seen as markers of Islam, some historians and researchers disagree about why an eight-pointed star is used on the flag of Azerbaijan. Fatali Khan Khoyski points to the eight letters in the word "Azerbaijan" (ﺁزرﺑﻴﺠﺎن) as written in Arabic.[2] The eight points of the star are also thought to stand for the eight Turkic peoples classified in pre-Soviet times:[26] Azeris, Ottomans (Turks), Jagatais, Tatars, Kipchaks, Seljuks, and Turkomans.[37][38] It's possible the Kipchaks actually reflect two peoples, the Kazakhs and Kyrgyz, which would make eight.[39]

Flag desecration in Azerbaijan is considered a crime. Desecration can be expressed in the commission by persons over the age of 16 of a wide variety of active public actions, indicating a disrespectful attitude towards the flag, for example, in its destruction, damage, drawing cynical drawings or inscriptions over it.

According to Article 324 Criminal Code of Azerbaijan "Desecration of the State Flag or the State Emblem of the Republic of Azerbaijan" is punishable by restriction of liberties for up to two years or imprisonment for up to one year.[42]