Flag of Morocco

The flag ofMorocco, which was first raised on November 17, 1915, is set against a red background, bordered with a strip of green, and the so-called “Seal of Solomon” consisting of a five-point star placed at its center. Red has a very profound importance in the history of Morocco as Moroccans believe they are the direct descendants of the royal family of Prophet Muhammad through Fatima, the spouse of the Fourth Caliphate, Ali. Red has also a historic importance to the Imams of Yemen and thesharifsof Mecca.

Starting in the 17th century, at the time when Morocco was still under the rule of the Alaouite Dynasty, the Moroccan flags were mostly in red color with no markings. It was only until Mulay Yusuf ruled Morocco in 1915 that the green laced pentagon-shaped star was placed at the center of the flag. The pentagon-shaped star was generally used by occults for centuries. It is said that the“Seal of Solomon”was used in the flag in order to distinguish the flag from the other flags of Islamic nations with similar red background.

The original design of the flag had been used continuously even at the time of French and Spanish domination of Morocco. However, it was required to be used in land only; sea use was entirely prohibited. When Morocco finally acquired its independence in 1956, the original design of the flag was considered as the national flag of Morocco.

According to old traditions, there is symbolism involved in the colors of the flag. For the Moroccan flag, red stands for courage, bravery, strength and force. The red interlaced also represents love, joy and hope. Green is also a significant color under Muslim faith. The shape and flag ratio of the Moroccan flag is described as 2:3.

Interestingly, the flag of Morocco stays unaltered even after the restoration of Moroccan sultanate and after it gained independence.