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Albania

Shqipëria

by Zeljko Heimer, 06-OCT-1995

Origins of the flag
Civil ensign
Naval ensign
Historical flags of Albania

See also:

Albanians in Kosovo in Yugoslavia

Origins of the flag

Gules, a double-headed eagle sable. The eagle goes back to one George Castriota, an Albanian Muslim who became a Turkish general in the 15th century under the name of Iskander Bey, or Skanderbeg. He later returned to the Christian faith and led the fight of the Albanians against the Turks in the 1440's. He used the Byzantine two-headed eagle on his seals, hence the modern flag. The modern flag had at various times a crown or a star above the eagle. The star gules lined or dates from the Communist takeover in 1946 and has recently been removed.
The violation of the usual tincture rule may not necessarily be due to the fact that it is a flag rather than "real" arms: see the Subic arms of Bosnia, which were gules, a wing displayed sable.
Francois Velde, 30-JUN-1995.

George Castriota was not an "Albanian Muslim" but an Albanian (though born in a Christian family). He was taken away as a child ("yanichar") by the Turkish army and then, when he grew up, he remembered his origin and religion so he went back to fight with his people for liberty. His Albanian name is Gjergj Kastrioti and "Iskanderbeg" is only the Turkish version.
Antoni Berishaj, 21-JAN-1996.

Civil ensign

by Mark Sensen, 04-OCT-1995

The Merchant flag is very much alike in type with the former Yugoslav flags, being horizontally red-black-red with a golden bounded red star. The star is only in the black band and does not touch all three bands as in the Yugoslav flags. This star was added in 1945 to the merchant flag in use since 1913. So from 1913 to WWII I think the flag was plain red-black-red. It wouldn't suprise me if the star has been abolished again, but I'm not sure.
Mark Sensen, 04-OCT-1995.

Such a flag is pictured in Talocci's book as the "civil ensign".
Anton Sherwood, 04-OCT-1995.

by Zeljko Heimer, 05-JUL-1996

On page 34 of the Flagmakers Catalog there is a picture of a flag chart (together with some books etc.) on which I noticed a horizontal tricolour red over black over red. Since it is near the beginning of the flag chart (which is presumably in alphabetical order) this may be the Albanian civil ensign, the same one as used before with the red star.
Zeljko Heimer, 05-JUL-1996

Naval ensign 1946?-1992

by Mark Sensen, 04-OCT-1995

The Naval flag was (is?) a bit like Soviet ensign-model: white with a red stripe along the lower edge. On the white the double-headed eagle and the red star edged in gold over his head. I don't know if and how they changed it. Both the civil and naval ensigns have proportions 2:3.
Mark Sensen, 04-OCT-1995