Egyptian Flag

The first national flag of modern Egypt was established by a Royal Decree in 1923 after Egypt gained conditional independence from Great Britain in 1922. The colour was green with a white crescent and three stars in the middle.

In 1958, a Presidential Decree established a new flag for the United Arab Republic which comprised a merger of Syria and Egypt. The new flag had three colors: red, white with 2 green stars and black. The flag was rectangular in shape with the width one-third its length.

In 1972, the Law was amended to change the flag. This time, the stars were removed and replaced by a golden hawk. Once again in 1984, the hawk was replaced by a golden eagle.

The red colour refers to the period before the 1952 Revolution which brought a group of army officers to power after deposing King Farouk, then King of Egypt. This was a period characterized by the struggle against the British occupation of the country. The white symbolizes the advent of the 1952 Revolution which ended the monarchy without bloodshed. The color black symbolizes the end of the opression of the Egyptian people at the hands of the Monarchy and British colonialism.

Rules Governing the Hoisting of the Flag

The national flag is hoisted on all governmental buildings on Fridays, official holidays, on the inauguration of the People’s Assembly session and other occasions when the Minister of Interior orders that the flag be hoisted.

The flag is hoisted daily on border posts and customs buildings. It is also hoisted on Egyptian consulates and embassies overseas on Egypt National Day and other national occasions.

Penal Provisions for Contempt of the Flag

Abusing the flag in any way is a criminal offense and is punishable under law as it implies contempt of the power of the state.

Penal provisions also govern abuse of foreign flags or national emblems of other countries.