Use | National flag and state ensign |
---|---|
Proportion | 2:3 |
Adopted | 17 November 1915 |
Design | A red field with a green pentagram, a five-pointed linear star.[1] |
Designed by | Mawlay Yusef |
The flag of Morocco (علم المغرب) is the flag used by the government of Morocco and has served as the national flag of Morocco since 17 November 1915. It has a red field with a green pentagram in the centre. The green star represents the five pillars of Islam, and the red represents the blood of the ancestors and unity.[2][3]
Red has considerable historic significance in Morocco by proclaiming the descent from the royal 'Alawid dynasty. The ruling house was associated with the Islamic prophet Muhammad via Fatimah, the wife of Ali, the fourth Muslim Caliph. Red is also the color that was used by the sharifs of Mecca and the imams of Yemen. Since the 17th century, Morocco is ruled by the 'Alawid dynasty, and the first flags of the country were plain red.
On 17 November 1915, Sultan Yusef signed a dhahir that made Morocco's flag red with a green interlaced pentangle.[4]
While Morocco was under French and Spanish control, the red flag with the seal in the center remained in use but only inland since its use at sea was prohibited. When independence was restored in 1955, it once again became the national flag.