Syria's flags

Before 1918

by Antonio Martins

Syria was part of the Ottoman Empire and used the Ottoman flag.

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1918-1920

by Filip Van Laenen, 03-NOV-1996

In 1918 the British forces established an Arab military administration in Damascus and inner Syria under Faysal (son of Hussein ibn Ali, Grand Sharif of Mecca and King of Hejaz), using the Aarb Revolution flag.

Britain turned effective control of nowadays Syria and Lebanon to France on September 1919.

The 2nd Syrian National Congress held in Damascus on March 8th, 1920 crowned Faysal I King of Syria, who was not recognized by Britain or France and claimed a Great Syria (with Palestine and Lebanon). A similar flag was adopted but with a seven-pointed white star in the red triangle. Faysal adopted a standard that was the same flag with a star and a royal golden crown in the central green strip.

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1920-1922

The Allied Supreme Council gave the mandate of nowadays Syria and Lebanon to France on April 25th, 1920 (confirmed July 23rd, 1922). General Gouraud occupied Damascus, Faysal was defeated in Maisselum July 24th, 1920, dethroned and forced into exile in Iraq. The French organized Syria into 5 states under the mandate:

• Sanjak of Damascus (Summer 1920) (Damascus or Syria proper): A green/white/green (or green/white/black?) horizontal tricolor with a canton of the French flag. According to Jaume Ollé however, the flag of Damascus (adopted 1922) was blue with a white circle.

  
  by Santiago Dotor, 13-JAN-1999

• Sanjak of Aleppo (Summer 1920)

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• Alawite State (September 29th, 1923, including Alexandretta), later renamed Sanjak of Latakia (after its chief town, September 22nd 1930): White, French flag in the canton, triangles in other corners of red, gold sunburst in center. Separate existence as a French mandate in 1920-30 and as a republic in 1930-6.

  
  by Santiago Dotor, 13-JAN-1999

• State of Souaida (March 4th, 1922), later Jebel Druze State (1927) with the addition of Damascus' Hawran (Jabal ad-Duruz or Druze Mountains): White, French flag in the canton, to right of canton equal horizontal stripes of green, red, yellow, blue and white (reading down).

  
  by Santiago Dotor, 13-JAN-1999

• Greater Lebanon (May 1920): French flag with a cedar centered on the white stripe.

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1922-1932

by Santiago Dotor, 13-JAN-1999

In June 1922 France established a loose federation between the four Syrian puppet states (Damascus, Latakia, Aleppo, and Jebel Druze); Lebanon was considered a separate entity thereafter. According to Jaume Ollé, the federal flag is created, horizontal green-white-green with French flag in canton.

The partially Turkish populated Alexandretta was turned into a sixth division within the French mandate on March 4th, 1923.

France reunited Aleppo and Damascus on December 1st, 1924, adopting the federal flag (green-white-green with French canton) as the Syrian flag. This encouraged the nationalists who formed the People's Party. The Druze Revolt started and lasted till 1927.

A constituent assembly summoned by France and enjoying nationalist majority drafted a Constitution not recognising the French mandate and was thus rejected. The French introduced a Constitution which was approved May 14th 1930, establishing Damascus and Aleppo as the 'Syrian Republic'.

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1932 (Autonomy) - 1946

Green-white-black horizontal tricolor with three red five-pointed stars pointing downwards, ratio 2:3. According to National Geographic [geo32], the stars should be upward and the ratio 5:8, but maybe they got the flag from Syrians already preparing/wishing for independence. Maybe the autonomous republic was proclaimed in 1934. The flag adopted had a ratio 1:2 (see Flagsmaster, last issue, flag of 1936). It was first hoisted in Aleppo on January 1st, 1932 and in Damascus on June 11th. The three stars stood for the districts that formed the Republic (Aleppo, Damascus and Deir es Zor).

Elections were held in 1932 and a Treaty acceptable to both parties was concluded in 1936, adding Latakia (including Alexandretta) and Jebel Druze to the 'Republic'. The stars then stood for Aleppo with Damascus and Deir es Zor (one), Jebel Druze (one) and Latakia (one).

On September 2nd 1938 the French turned the Alexandretta district into the autonomous Republic of Hatay. It was thereafter handed to Turkey (June 23rd, 1939).

During the Second World War, after invading Vichy-governed Syria, General Catroux proclaimed the independence of Syria in September 1941. The French troops evacuated Syria in May 1945.

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1946 (Independence) - 1958

by Vincent Morley, 12-APR-1997

Green-white-black horizontal tricolour with three red five-pointed stars pointing upwards, ratio 1:2. Source: National Geographic, February 1951.

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1958-1961

by Zeljko Heimer, 07-FEB-1996

Syria and Egypt united on 22nd February 1958 to form the United Arab Republic. Red-white-black horizontal tricolor with two green stars.

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1961-1963

by Vincent Morley, 12-APR-1997

Syria left the union with Egypt (UAR) on 28th September 1961 and reverted to the 1946-58 flag.

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1963-1972

The Ba'ath party made a coup d'état in 1963. Red-white-black horizontal tricolor with three green stars.

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1972-1980

by Zeljko Heimer, 29-JUL-1996
modified by Santiago Dotor, 07-MAY-1999

Syria joined Egypt and Libya on 1st January 1972 to form the Federation of Arab Republics. They adopted the same flag, with minor variations, for the three countries: red-white-black horizontal tricolour with the hawk of Quraish (the tribe of Mohammad) looking to the hoist (at the right side) [?] on the white band with a small inscription of the name of the federation below. Unlike Egypt or Lybia, the name of the country did not appear below the scroll.

The Federation of Arab Republics ended March 1977, but Syria retained its flag.

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Since 1980

Reintroduction of the United Arab Republic flag of 1958-61, ratio 2:3.