History and meaning of the flag:
The red color of the Turkish flag originates from Umar, the ruler of the Arab Caliphate in 634-644 and the conqueror of Palestine, Egypt and Mesopotamia. In the XIV century. red became the color of the Ottoman Empire. The crescent moon with a star is a symbol of Islam.
It is noteworthy that initially the star was inside the month, which is incorrect from the point of view of astronomy (the star in this case was covered by the invisible part of the moon), therefore, at the beginning of the 20th century, according to the requirements of astronomers, it was taken out of the month. Although at the present time the flag contains some astronomical discrepancy - the "crescent" does not represent the phase of the Moon (which we can observe from the Earth every month), but the eclipse of the Moon by an incomprehensible object (in terms of the size and position of the orbit - not by the Earth) of a round shape (which is unnatural for asteroids). In a word, such a moon is impossible to observe from Earth now, and it was impossible to observe it for thousands of years earlier.
Some sources indicate that the crescent, considered a traditional symbol of Islam, appeared on Turkish flags in the middle of the 15th century. after the victorious battle of the Kosovo field, others clarify that it was borrowed from the emblem of Constantinople (now Istanbul) taken in 1453, while others remind that the image of a crescent moon with the star of Jupiter was considered a horoscope of Sultan Osman (ruled at the end of the 13th - beginning of the 14th centuries. ), was the generic emblem of his dynasty.
True, the stars appeared on the flags of Turkey only in early XIX in., then they were seven- and eight-pointed. The five-pointed star appeared in 1844. For a long time, the sacred green color of the Prophet Muhammad prevailed on Turkish flags, only in 1793 Sultan Selim III ordered the red color to be legalized.
By the time of its collapse in 1918, the Ottoman Empire had a flag on the red cloth of which the sacred image of a white crescent and a five-pointed star was repeated three times. In 1923, the flag of the Republic of Turkey was installed, which exists to this day. On May 29, 1936, it was officially approved in a 3: 2 ratio.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, on the coat of arms of Turkey, against the background of war trophies, a shield with a golden month in a green field flaunted. The Sultan's turban crowned the shield. Decades have passed, Turkey has become a secular republican state, the sultans have become a thing of the past. In our time, both on the coat of arms and on the flag of this state, the pattern is the same - a white crescent moon with a star on a red field.
There are many legends about the origin of these symbols. One of them is associated with the distant 339 BC. BC, when the troops of Philip the Great, the father of the famous commander Alexander, surrounded the city of Byzantium, that is how Istanbul was called in antiquity. The siege was long and bloody, the inhabitants resisted desperately, many people died in the struggle for freedom. Then the enemy decided to undermine the impregnable fortress at night. But suddenly, due to heavy clouds, the moon shone and next to it a star, repeatedly reflected in pools of blood near the city walls. The sentinels on the towers noticed the enemy and raised the alarm. With heavy losses, Philip's soldiers retreated, and the city was saved. In memory of this event and as a symbol of freedom from invaders, the crescent moon with a star became the emblem of Byzantium. Centuries later, in 1453, the hordes of the Turkish Sultan captured the city, and then the entire Eastern Roman Empire. The emblem passed to the banner of the winners, and since then the crescent moon with a star flaunts on the flag of Turkey.
Brief country information
Turkey (tur. Türkiye), officially the Turkish Republic (tur. Türkiye Cumhuriyeti) is a state located mainly in South-West Asia, and partially (about 3% of the territory, 20% of the population) - in South-Eastern Europe (Eastern Thrace) ... It was formed in 1923 as a result of the division of the Ottoman Empire after its defeat in the First World War and the ensuing national liberation war of the Turkish people, the abolition of the monarchy and the transformation of a territory dominated by the Turkish ethnicity into a Turkish national state. The population for 2015 is more than 77 695 904 people, the territory is 783 562 km². It occupies the eighteenth place in the world in terms of population and thirty-sixth in terms of territory. The state language is Turkish.
An industrial country with a dynamically developing economy. GDP per capita purchasing power parity (PPP) $ 19,610 per year (2014). In 2014, Turkey's GDP at PPP was $ 1508 billion. The volume of GDP at par per capita was $ 10,482 per year (2014). In 2014, Turkey's GDP at par was $ 806 billion.
The main part of the country's territory falls on the Anatolian Peninsula and the Armenian Highlands, a smaller part - on the Balkan Peninsula between the Black and Mediterranean Seas. Turkey borders in the east with Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran; in the south - with Iraq and Syria; in the west - with Greece and Bulgaria. The country is washed by four seas: Black, Mediterranean, Aegean and Marmara.
In 2000, the Republic of Turkey acquired the official status of a candidate country for the EU membership. Member of NATO since 1952.
Turkey country on world map
Country video Turkey
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Turkey, a country with a unique geographic location. Partly in Europe and partly in Asia, it has served as both a barrier and a bridge between the two continents throughout its history. In turn, the culture and traditions of Turkey are a kind of reflection of the influence of the East and West on this country, and the state flag is a vivid confirmation of this.
Flag Description
The national flag of Turkey is a rectangular red flag with the former five-pointed star and a white crescent. The composition is located closer to the left edge of the flag, with the star to the right of the crescent. The ratio of the length and width of the web is 3: 2, respectively.
Flag symbolism
The five-pointed star in the Muslim tradition symbolizes the 5 pillars of Islam:
- recognition of monotheism and the prophetic mission of Muhammad, or shahad, with which all prayers and events begin;
- namaz, or prayer that a Muslim says five times a day;
- fasting in the month of Ramadan, established back in 624 by the prophet Muhammad, and requiring believers to completely refuse food during daylight hours for 29-30 days;
- pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina (hajj), which every Muslim dreams of at least once in his life;
- zakat, or a mandatory tax for a capable population in favor of the poor and others in need.
The crescent, according to one version, means the use of the lunar calendar by Muslims. However, there are suggestions about him as a symbol of the heavenly patronage of righteous Muslims.
Similar compositions of a star and a crescent are presented on the flags of other countries, whose territory once belonged to the Ottoman Empire: Algeria, Libya, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Pakistan and Tunisia.
If we talk about the color basis of the flag, then the colors are generally deeply symbolic among Muslims. White for them personifies spirituality, holiness and purity. He, like other light colors, is especially revered in Islam. Like other religions, Islam sees in this color the divine principle and wisdom. Red is considered the color of strength, courage and passion. Its richness and energy are so strong that it is even forbidden to show the rubies loved by Muslims to children and animals.
Flag names
As in other countries, in Turkey there are unofficial names for this state symbol... So, for example, the Turks poetically call their flag. ay yildiz, which means "moon star" in translation. Sometimes you hear another name - al sancak... It translates as "red banner". In a word sancak earlier military flags were designated, which necessarily had inscriptions, a fringe and a staff.
Flag history
It can be quite difficult to reveal the meaning of the color of the banner and the images on it, especially if the state symbol is no longer young. Such flags are often surrounded by many historical assumptions and legends. As for the Turkish flag, then with it with a huge number of versions are knitted, but none of them fully discloses its origin.
Historical facts
Although the star and crescent moon are considered Muslim symbols, in fact, they appeared much earlier than the heyday of this religion. The ancient civilizations in the Middle East revered the crescent especially. In Greek Byzantium, for example, he was a symbol of the moon goddess Diana, the patron saint of this city. When Emperor Constantine I recognized Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire, in 330 Byzantium was renamed Constantinople and placed under the protection of the Holy Virgin Mary, whose emblem was a star. Since then, the Romans have commonly depicted these two symbols together.
The star and the crescent moon became associated with Islam when in the 15th century. Turkic nomads from Central Asia, professing this religion, captured the Anatolian peninsula and the Roman capital. The occupied territories passed into the possession of the Ottoman Empire, and Constantinople was renamed Istanbul. The Ottoman Turks adopted the existing divine symbols and began to put the star and crescent moon on their red flags.
Throughout its existence, the Ottoman Empire changed several flags, most of which featured a star and a crescent moon. Basically, these banners were red or green. In 1793, the Ottoman Sultan Selim III abolished all green banners and declared a red flag with a white crescent and an eight-pointed star as the banner of the Turkish fleet. The five-pointed star became in 1844.
In 1923, the Ottoman Empire was replaced by the Turkish Republic, and in June 1936 the white crescent moon with a star on a red banner became the official flag of the new state. Thus, national symbol Turkey has remained virtually unchanged for several centuries.
Legends
One of the legends associated with the Turkish flag says that during the battle on the Kosovo field in 1448, during which the Ottoman Turks defeated the Hungarian troops, Sultan Murad II saw the reflection of the moon and stars in the pools of blood of the fallen soldiers.
According to another legend, the very first sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Osman I, saw in a dream how a month appeared from the chest of the famous righteous Sheikh Edebali and sank on the chest of Osman. And then a tree grew on this place, the shadow of which covered the whole world, and the rivers flowing from it irrigated the earth and gave water to people and animals. The Sheikh interpreted the Sultan's dream as granting him and his descendants the highest blessing to rule the world.
According to the third legend, when in 1453 the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II with his troops conquered Constantinople, on the same night he saw a month in the sky and a bright star next to it. Then the ruler decided that the star with the crescent moon would be a good symbol for his huge Empire.
Use of the Turkish flag
The flag in Turkey can be found on buildings of various state institutions: from schools to ministries. On the buildings of Parliament and other authorities, educational institutions, consulates, airports, military units, the national symbol of the country is constantly posted.
On military uniforms, the flag is located either on the right shoulder or on the chest of the Turkish army. He can also be depicted on a helmet. On the uniform of the gendarmerie, sea and air fleet, the banner is always sewn on the shoulder.
Turkey has many national holidays and memorable dates during which the country's flags are flown. Turkey celebrates Republic Day on October 29 every year. On this day, the flag of the country and the portrait of the first President Ataturk can be found literally everywhere: both on the TV screen and at a street demonstration.
The flag of Turkey is undoubtedly half-mast on November 10, the day of memory of Ataturk. Other dates when the banner is lowered are announced by the Prime Minister of the country.
Turkish law prohibits hanging the flag if it is torn, dirty or badly crumpled, any damage to the national symbol and disrespectful attitude towards it in written and spoken speech are also severely punished.
The Turkish flag may seem simple and uncomplicated to some, but behind this simplicity lies a long history and a connection between the West and the East.
Each state has its own distinctive symbols established by constitutional or special law. This is a hymn, coat of arms and flag, steeped, as a rule, in legends and shrouded in stories. The symbolism of the state is considered not just an operating formal system. It is a national treasure, including culture.
Symbols give the first idea about the state, about what values it adheres to. In such an Islamic country as Turkey, there is no legally approved state emblem as such. At the same time, instead of him, in many institutions you can see a semi-official emblem. It looks like a red oval with a vertically oriented crescent and a star depicted inside it. The flag of Turkey also contains similar symbols. In addition, the official name of the state is written on the upper edge of the oval of the emblem. This symbolism - a star and a crescent - can be seen on foreign passport citizens of Turkey.
In 1925, the Ministry of Education of this country announced a competition for the best drawing for the national emblem. The winner was a project that depicted vertical stars and a crescent moon, and below was the silhouette of a wolf, personifying the "Turkic national symbol". However, despite universal recognition, this version of the coat of arms, like all the others, did not acquire official status.
Meaning and history
The flag of Turkey is a white crescent moon with a red banner. This bright color of the fabric, according to some reports, came from the ruler Umar, who was the conqueror of Egypt, Palestine and Mesopotamia. Since the fourteenth century, red has symbolized both the Star and the Crescent Moon and has always been believed to be preached by the Turkish Republic. And this is despite the fact that religion is legally separated from the state, and the principle of freedom of religion is in effect.
Inconsistency
Interestingly, the star was originally located within the month. Moreover, from the point of view of astronomers, this was the wrong decision, since the star in this case was covered by the moon, or rather its invisible part. Therefore, since the beginning of the twentieth century, according to the requirements of astronomers, the flag of Turkey, the pictures of which have remained unchanged, has been somewhat corrected. The star was nevertheless taken out of the crescent.
However, specialists in the present version find some, from the point of view of astronomy, discrepancy. The crescent moon on the flag represents not the one that a person can observe every month from the Earth, but its eclipse by an incomprehensible round object.
The origin of the drawings
Some historians argue that the crescent, which has always been traditionally considered a symbol of Islam, appeared on the Turkish flag from the middle of the fifteenth century immediately after the victorious battle of Kosovo. Others say that it was borrowed from the emblem of the captured Constantinople. Still others are sure that the image of the star of Jupiter with a crescent moon is the signs of the horoscope of Sultan Uthman, who ruled in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries. These symbols were considered the emblem of the dynasty of his reigning clan.
There is another legend about their origin. It is associated with the distant fourth century BC, when the troops of the famous Alexander the Great's father - the commander Philip - laid siege to the ancient city of Byzantium, present-day Istanbul. The encirclement was long and bloody. The inhabitants resisted desperately, many of them died in the struggle for their freedom. And then the enemy decided in the middle of the night to dig under this impregnable fortress.
However, suddenly, from behind the black clouds, a moon shone and a star next to it. Their light was reflected many times in the pools of blood spilled under the city walls. The sentinels noticed the enemy from the towers and raised the alarm. Philip's soldiers had to retreat with heavy losses, and the city was liberated. And as a memory of this event, and at the same time as a symbol of freedom, the crescent moon with a star became the emblem of Byzantium. After a long time, already in 1453, the horde of the Turkish Sultan captured almost the entire Eastern Roman Empire. The emblem was transferred to the banner of the winner, and since then the flag of Turkey has been a red banner with a crescent moon and a star.
Blue flag
When planning a vacation by the sea, many are guided by the presence of the "Blue Flag". Since 1987, this international award has been awarded annually to those equipped beaches whose water meets quality standards, which means it is safe for swimming. This nomination is managed by the Foundation for Eco-Education - FEE. More than sixty states participate in this program. Turkey did not stand aside either. The "Blue Flag" last year brought it to the third position among the countries in which sea tourism is developed. 389 beaches, which is thirty-two more than the year before last, are marked by the FEE for as many as twenty-nine criteria.
In addition, Turkey is in seventh place in terms of the number of Blue Flags awarded to its marinas.
The government of any country is trying to "wrap" the history of the emergence of its national flag in some beautiful legend, which, as a rule, is associated with the heroic events of hoary antiquity and which is extremely difficult to confirm, however, as well as to refute. This is understandable: the upbringing of the spirit of patriotism and pride in the great ancestors is perfectly combined with a position of loyalty to the leadership of the state ...
The flag of Turkey also has its own version of the origin, based on the legend. Since our site is primarily dedicated to Turkey, we consider it our duty to tell you this beautiful story. But first, let's go over the historical facts a bit.
Transformations of the Turkish flag
The Turkish flag is colorful and easy to remember, and thanks to the presence of a crescent and a star, it clearly speaks of its Muslim origin. So it is, but the flag of Turkey stands out from a number of state symbols of the countries of Islam due to the complete absence of their characteristic green color.
In its current state, the Turkish flag is a white crescent moon and a star on a red background. The final version of the flag was officially adopted on May 29, 1936, in this form it exists to this day. It is interesting that the previous, so to speak, "prototype" of the main state symbol of Turkey differed from the current one only in that the star was not next to the crescent, but directly inside it. Rumor has it that it was scientists at the beginning of the XX century that "bombarded" supreme authorities dispatches indicating the glaring astronomical discrepancy of this fact, which led to the "expulsion" of the star outside the lunar disk.
The crescent moon appeared on the Turkish flag around the middle of the 15th century. Information on this matter varies: some sources claim that it was borrowed from the horoscope of Sultan Osman, others talk about its appearance after the legendary battle on the Kosovo field.
Interestingly, the stars on the Turkish flag appeared later. They were both seven- and eight-pointed, and they could be repeated with the crescent three times (until the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in 1918). Only since 1844, the five-pointed star has firmly established itself on the Turkish flag.
As for the red color of the cloth, it became so after the highest command of Sultan Selim III in 1793. Prior to that, for centuries, the green color of the Prophet Muhammad, sacred to any Muslim, dominated on the Turkish banner.
Now is the time to turn to the legends about the appearance of the symbols of the star and the crescent on the Turkish flag.
Legend one
The Great Sultan Selim (the father of the famous Suleiman the Magnificent), as a result of a bloody war, defeated Egypt in 1517, annexing its lands to the possession of the Ottoman Empire. After the decisive battle, Selim entered the battlefield, where he saw the reflection of the evening crescent and the star next to it in a pool of spreading human blood ...
The symbolic combination of scarlet blood and the reflection of heavenly bodies strongly impressed the Great Sultan, moreover, it strongly resembled the symbols on the battle banner of the Turkish army. That is why later this image was chosen as the state flag of Turkey.
The second legend
In 339 BC, King Philip - the father of the legendary Alexander the Great - took ancient Istanbul (then called Byzantium) into the ring of siege. The brave inhabitants of Byzantium did not 
surrendered at the mercy of the victor, and the siege threatened to drag on for a long time. Philip the Macedonian gave the order to make a tunnel under the walls of the stronghold on the next gloomy night ...
His plan almost succeeded, but suddenly a crescent moon and a nearby large star peeped out from behind the clouds. They were reflected in the multitude of puddles of spilled human blood near the fortress walls and illuminated Philip's soldiers who were digging. The defenders noticed the enemy and thwarted their cunning plan. Later, as a result of bloody battles, Philip's troops were driven back from the walls of ancient Istanbul.
In gratitude for the night's clue, the star and crescent moon were chosen as the emblem of Byzantium. In 1453, the Turkish army captured Istanbul, and later the entire eastern part of the Roman Empire. The emblem of Byzantium migrated to the banner of the invaders as a kind of war trophy. Well, later the symbols of the crescent moon and stars on a red background became the national flag of Turkey.