Egypt

Last modified: 1997-10-17 by zeljko heimer
Keywords: egypt | africa | hawk | eagle | saladin |
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by mark sensen

Egypt replaced the hawk on 4 october 1984 by the Eagle of Saladin.
mark sensen 19-NOV-1995

• 19th century flags
• 1913 State Ensign
• Flag from revolution of 1919
• Egypt under British rule
• History of flags in Egypt by W. Smith
• Egypt 1972-1984

19th century flags

Egypt 1913: The ensign is the same as the current flag of Turkey (Egypt was still part of the Ottoman Empire, at least in name). 1941: The ensign is green with a thin white cresent surrounding three white stars, in the canton are two crossed and fouled ancors. I assume that the state flag would be the same without the ancors.

Nathan Augistine 5-DEC-1995

Flag from revolution of 1919

The green flag with crescent and cross is the flag of the revolution of 1919.

R. N. Bliss 23-APR-1996

Zeljko Heimer 27-OCT-1996

"British ascendency in Egypt dates from the 18th of December, 1914, when the government of the Empire deposed the reigning Khedive, on the ground that he had adhered to the King's enemies" -- presumably, the Ottoman Sultans who were at that point still Egypt's nominal rulers and were on Germany's side in WWI. "The new Egyptian flag has three white crescents, with the horns toward the fly, and each containing a five-pointed white star. This flag was the personal standard of the Khedive and now takes the place of the former national flag, which was distinguished from the Turkish by having a star of five instead of six points." This last must be reversed -- the Turkish flag is depicted as being the same as the modern flag, with five stars.

Josh Fruhlinger 13-FEB-1996

Not so, British ascendency in Egypt dates from 1882 when we first occupied the country. From then until 1914 Egypt was nominally still under Ottoman suzerainty but was _de facto_ a British Protectorate. Britain made vague promises about withdrawing, so long as her interest in the Suez Canal could be guaranteed, which it couldn't. Our influence in Egyptian affairs didn't end until 1956.

The red flag with three crescents and stars, may have had a wider use than purely by the Khedive. I believe Kitchener's 1898 Anglo-Egyptian expedition to the Sudan carried it (along with the UJ of course!)

Roy Stilling 14-FEB-1996

Zeljko Heimer 27-OCT-1996

In 1922 when the formal Protectotrate Britain had imposed in 1914 was ended, and Egypt became nominally independent, it adopted the green flag with a crescent and three stars that was used up until the overthrow of the monarchy in 1952.

Roy Stilling 14-FEB-1996

History of flags in Egypt by W. Smith

Quoting from Whitney Smith's FLAGS THROUGH THE AGES AND ACROSS THE WORLD ,1975 [smi75]:

"The Ottoman flag in the 19th century normally bore a white star and crescent on its red field. ... Muhammad Ali did introduce one distinctive new flag which eventually became the first real Egyptian national flag. Perhaps to symbolize the victory of his armies in 3 continents (Europe, Asia, and Africa) or his own sovereignty over Egypt, Nubia, and the Sudan, Ali set three white crescents and three stars on a red field. ... In 1882, Egyptian nationalists, seeking to take leadership in their own land by deposing the khedive, provided the pretext Britain sought for occupying the country. A promise was made that Her Majesty's troops would leave "as soon as the state of the country and the organization of proper means for the maintenance of the Khedivial authority will admit of it." ... Technically Ottoman sovereignty over Egypt proved only a minor embarrassment when Britain and Turkey became enemies in WW I; on 18 December 1914 a formal British protectorate over Egypt was declared, followed by the deposition of the ruling khedive and the transformation of his flag into an Egyptian National flag. Agitation for independence began immediately, reaching a peak in the Revolution of 1919. While the red flag with its white crescents and stars was carried by Egyptians protesting British Rule, a special banner was also seen in the streets. Its field was green and bore a crescent and cross to show that both Muslims and Coptic Christians supported the independence movement. ... Although the revolution was suppressed, continued agitation led to the termination of the British protectorate in 1922. Fuad I adopted a distinctive national flag ... on 10 December 1923 ... three white stars arranged within a single crescent standing for Muslims, Christians, and Jews living in Egypt."

Nick Artimovich 23-APR-1996