Flag of Libya
Encyclopedia
The Libyan Independence Flag or Flag of Libya was the original flag of the Kingdom of Libya
introduced in 1951 following the creation of the Libyan state in the post World War II period. It was originally created by Omar Faiek Shennib
and approved by King Idris Al Senussi who comprised the UN delegation representing the regions of Cyrenaica
, Fezzan
and Tripolitania
at UN discussions which resulted in a unified Libya
in 1951.
This flag was adopted by the National Transitional Council
and anti-Gaddafi forces
and formally reclaimed as the country's national flag in the Libyan interim Constitutional Declaration
issued on 3 August 2011, as a result of the Fall of Tripoli
from the Gaddafi government in the Libyan civil war
in August 2011.
, Chief of the Royal Diwans, Vice President of the National Assembly and Minister of Defense under King Idris Al Senussi is credited in the memoirs of Adrian Pelt, UN commissioner for Libya (1949 to 1951) for the design of the original Flag of Libya: this flag represented Libya from its independence in 1951 to 1969, and was adopted by the pro-democracy movement during the 2011 uprising.
An excerpt from the memoirs of Adrian Pelt states, “during deliberations of the Libyan National Constitutional Convention, a paper drawing of a proposed national flag was presented to the convention by Omar Faiek Shennib
(distinguished member of the delegation from Cyrenaica). The design was composed of three colors; red, black and green, with a white Crescent and Star centered in the middle black stripe. Mr. Shennib informed the delegates that this design had met the approval of His Highness Emir of Cyrenaica, King Idris Al Senussi (later to become King of Libya). The assembly subsequently approved that design.”
Interviews with Ibtisam Shennib and Amal Omar Shennib, Omar Faeik Shennib's only two remaining, both of whom still reside in Libya, have confirmed Adrian Pelt's account of the origin of the flag. Ibtisam Shennib recalled the morning her father brought a draft of the flag to the breakfast table and showed it to her and her siblings, explaining the original intent behind the selection of the flag's colours and symbols. According to Omar Faiek Shennib, "red was selected for the blood sacrificed for the freedom of Libya, black to remember the black days that Libyans lived under the occupation of the Italians (Italian Libya
) and green to represent its primary wealth, agriculture, (Libya once being referred to as the 'agricultural basket' or 'breadbasket' of the Ottoman Empire
) and the future prosperity of the country. The star and crescent were placed within the black central strip of the flag as a reference to the Senussi
flag and the role of King Idris in leading the country to independence".
Before 1911, the Ottoman
vilayet of Tripolitania (the "kingdom of Tripoli") included much of the same territory as modern Libya.
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From 1934 to 1943, Libya was an Italian colony
and used the flag of the kingdom of Italy
.
During World War II
, Italian Libya was occupied
by France and the United Kingdom. The emirate of Cyrenaica
was declared in British-occupied Cyrenaica in 1949 with the backing of the British authorities. The "emir of Cyrenaica", Idris of Libya, kept the emirate's flag (a white crescent and star on a black background) as his personal flag after he became king of Libya in 1951.
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The flag of the Kingdom of Libya
was adopted when Libya gained full independence in 1951. It consisted of a white star and crescent
on a triband red-black-green design, with the central black band being twice the width of the outer bands. The design was based on the banner of the Senussi
dynasty from Cyrenaica
, which consisted of a black field and star and crescent
design, and was later used as the flag of the region. The red represented the blood of the Libyan people who died under the Italian fascist rule, while the green represents the era of independence, freedom and a new start for the Libyan people. The crescent and star represent the main religion of Libya which is Islam.
Following the coup d'état of 1969, the flag was replaced by the Pan-Arab
red-white-black tricolor of the Arab Liberation Flag
, first flown after the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 (which also formed the basis of the flags of Egypt
, Iraq
, Syria
, and Yemen
).
its flag was adopted by the country, linking it to Egypt
and Syria
. It featured a golden hawk (the "Hawk of Qureish"), holding a scroll with the Arabic name of the Federation.
field. It was the only national flag
in the world with just one color and no design, insignia, or other details. It was chosen by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi
to symbolize his political philosophy (after his Green Book).
The green colour traditionally symbolizes Islam
, reflecting the historical green banners of the Fatimid Caliphate. In Libya, green was also a colour traditionally used to represent the Tripolitania
region.
During the 2011 Libyan civil war
against the rule of Muammar Gaddafi
, the 1951–1969 flag – as well as various makeshift versions without the crescent and star symbol, or without the green stripe – came back into use in areas held by the Libyan opposition and by protesters at several Libyan diplomatic missions abroad.
The National Transitional Council
, formed on 27 February 2011, adopted the flag previously used in Kingdom of Libya between 1951 and 1969 as the "emblem of the Libyan Republic". The flag was officially defined in article 3 of the Libyan interim Constitutional Declaration
.
The flag was initially used by protesters during the 2011 Libyan civil war
and is being flown at Libyan diplomatic missions supporting the National Transitional Council. On 10 March 2011, France
was the first country to recognize the council as the official government of Libya. On 21 March 2011, the flag was flown by the Permanent Mission of Libya to the United Nations
and appeared on their official website, and thereafter in late August by the Arab League
and by Libya's own telecommunications authority, the Libya Telecom & Technology
, on its own website.
This original Flag of Libya is now the only flag flown outside the United Nations to represent Libya, according to the following UN statement:
"Following the adoption by the General Assembly of resolution 66/1, the Permanent Mission of Libya to the United Nations formally notified the United Nations of a Declaration by the National Transitional Council of 3 August 2011 changing the official name of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to "Libya" as well as a decision to change Libya's national flag to the original."
Kingdom of Libya
The Kingdom of Libya, originally called the United Libyan Kingdom came into existence upon independence on 24 December 1951 and lasted until a coup d'état led by Muammar Gaddafi on 1 September 1969 overthrew King Idris of Libya and established the Libyan Arab Republic.- Constitution :Under the...
introduced in 1951 following the creation of the Libyan state in the post World War II period. It was originally created by Omar Faiek Shennib
Omar Faiek Shennib
Omar al Fayek Shennib was Libyan Minister of Defence, Chief of the Royal Diwan, Vice President of the Libyan National Assembly under the reign of King Idris Al Senussi.-1941 Cyrenaican Delegation to the UN:...
and approved by King Idris Al Senussi who comprised the UN delegation representing the regions of Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica is the eastern coastal region of Libya.Also known as Pentapolis in antiquity, it was part of the Creta et Cyrenaica province during the Roman period, later divided in Libia Pentapolis and Libia Sicca...
, Fezzan
Fezzan
Fezzan is a south western region of modern Libya. It is largely desert but broken by mountains, uplands, and dry river valleys in the north, where oases enable ancient towns and villages to survive deep in the otherwise inhospitable Sahara.-Name:...
and Tripolitania
Tripolitania
Tripolitania or Tripolitana is a historic region and former province of Libya.Tripolitania was a separate Italian colony from 1927 to 1934...
at UN discussions which resulted in a unified Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
in 1951.
This flag was adopted by the National Transitional Council
National Transitional Council
The National Transitional Council of Libya , sometimes known as the Transitional National Council, the Interim National Council, or the Libyan National Council,...
and anti-Gaddafi forces
Anti-Gaddafi forces
The anti-Gaddafi forces were Libyan groups that opposed and militarily defeated the government of Muammar Gaddafi, killing him in the process. These opposition forces included organised and armed militia groups, participants in the 2011 Libyan civil war, Libyan diplomats who switched their...
and formally reclaimed as the country's national flag in the Libyan interim Constitutional Declaration
Libyan interim Constitutional Declaration
Libya's National Transitional Council on 3 August 2011 passed a "Constitutional Declaration". The document was publicly announced at a press conference of 10 August by Abdul Hafiz Ghoga, Vice President and official spokesman of the NTC ....
issued on 3 August 2011, as a result of the Fall of Tripoli
Battle of Tripoli (2011)
The Battle of Tripoli was a military confrontation in Tripoli, Libya, between loyalists of Muammar Gaddafi, the longtime leader of Libya, and the National Transitional Council, which was attempting to overthrow Gaddafi and take control of the capital...
from the Gaddafi government in the Libyan civil war
2011 Libyan civil war
The 2011 Libyan civil war was an armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security...
in August 2011.
Origin of the flag of Libya
Omar Faiek ShennibOmar Faiek Shennib
Omar al Fayek Shennib was Libyan Minister of Defence, Chief of the Royal Diwan, Vice President of the Libyan National Assembly under the reign of King Idris Al Senussi.-1941 Cyrenaican Delegation to the UN:...
, Chief of the Royal Diwans, Vice President of the National Assembly and Minister of Defense under King Idris Al Senussi is credited in the memoirs of Adrian Pelt, UN commissioner for Libya (1949 to 1951) for the design of the original Flag of Libya: this flag represented Libya from its independence in 1951 to 1969, and was adopted by the pro-democracy movement during the 2011 uprising.
An excerpt from the memoirs of Adrian Pelt states, “during deliberations of the Libyan National Constitutional Convention, a paper drawing of a proposed national flag was presented to the convention by Omar Faiek Shennib
Omar Faiek Shennib
Omar al Fayek Shennib was Libyan Minister of Defence, Chief of the Royal Diwan, Vice President of the Libyan National Assembly under the reign of King Idris Al Senussi.-1941 Cyrenaican Delegation to the UN:...
(distinguished member of the delegation from Cyrenaica). The design was composed of three colors; red, black and green, with a white Crescent and Star centered in the middle black stripe. Mr. Shennib informed the delegates that this design had met the approval of His Highness Emir of Cyrenaica, King Idris Al Senussi (later to become King of Libya). The assembly subsequently approved that design.”
Interviews with Ibtisam Shennib and Amal Omar Shennib, Omar Faeik Shennib's only two remaining, both of whom still reside in Libya, have confirmed Adrian Pelt's account of the origin of the flag. Ibtisam Shennib recalled the morning her father brought a draft of the flag to the breakfast table and showed it to her and her siblings, explaining the original intent behind the selection of the flag's colours and symbols. According to Omar Faiek Shennib, "red was selected for the blood sacrificed for the freedom of Libya, black to remember the black days that Libyans lived under the occupation of the Italians (Italian Libya
Italian Libya
Italian Libya was a unified colony of Italian North Africa established in 1934 in what represents present-day Libya...
) and green to represent its primary wealth, agriculture, (Libya once being referred to as the 'agricultural basket' or 'breadbasket' of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
) and the future prosperity of the country. The star and crescent were placed within the black central strip of the flag as a reference to the Senussi
Senussi
The Senussi or Sanussi refers to a Muslim political-religious order in Libya and the Sudan region founded in Mecca in 1837 by the Grand Senussi, Sayyid Muhammad ibn Ali as-Senussi. Senussi was concerned with both the decline of Islamic thought and spirituality and the weakening of Muslim political...
flag and the role of King Idris in leading the country to independence".
Legal basis and construction
The flag of Libya is described in Article 7 of the Constitution of the 7th of October 1951. It was officially adopted on the 24th of December 1951. Both the shade and legal construction is described in a booklet issued by the Ministry of Information and Guidance of the Kingdom of Libya. The passage reads:Historical flags
The name "Libya" was introduced by Italian colonialism in 1934.Before 1911, the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
vilayet of Tripolitania (the "kingdom of Tripoli") included much of the same territory as modern Libya.
Tripolitania
The short-lived Tripolitanian Republic in western Libya had its own flag, which had a light blue field and a green palm tree in the center, with a white star on top of it. It was unilaterally declared in 1918 and claimed sovereignty over the entire former vilayet, but never had full de facto governance.Italian Libya (1934–1943)
Italian Libya
Italian Libya was a unified colony of Italian North Africa established in 1934 in what represents present-day Libya...
and used the flag of the kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
.
Emirate of Cyrenaica (1949–1951)
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Italian Libya was occupied
Allied occupation of Libya
Allied occupation of Libya was the control of the ex-Italian colony of Libya by the Allies from 1943 until the Libyan independence in 1951.-Characteristics:...
by France and the United Kingdom. The emirate of Cyrenaica
Emirate of Cyrenaica
The Emirate of Cyrenaica came into existence when Sayyid Idris unilaterally proclaimed Cyrenaica an independent Senussi Emirate on 1 March 1949, backed by the United Kingdom. Sayyid Idris proclaimed himself Emir of Cyrenaica at a 'national conference' in Benghazi...
was declared in British-occupied Cyrenaica in 1949 with the backing of the British authorities. The "emir of Cyrenaica", Idris of Libya, kept the emirate's flag (a white crescent and star on a black background) as his personal flag after he became king of Libya in 1951.
Kingdom of Libya (1951–1969)
Kingdom of Libya
The Kingdom of Libya, originally called the United Libyan Kingdom came into existence upon independence on 24 December 1951 and lasted until a coup d'état led by Muammar Gaddafi on 1 September 1969 overthrew King Idris of Libya and established the Libyan Arab Republic.- Constitution :Under the...
was adopted when Libya gained full independence in 1951. It consisted of a white star and crescent
Star and crescent
A star and crescent featuring in some combination form the basis of symbols widely found across the ancient world, with examples attested from the Eastern Mediterranean and Central Asia....
on a triband red-black-green design, with the central black band being twice the width of the outer bands. The design was based on the banner of the Senussi
Senussi
The Senussi or Sanussi refers to a Muslim political-religious order in Libya and the Sudan region founded in Mecca in 1837 by the Grand Senussi, Sayyid Muhammad ibn Ali as-Senussi. Senussi was concerned with both the decline of Islamic thought and spirituality and the weakening of Muslim political...
dynasty from Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica
Cyrenaica is the eastern coastal region of Libya.Also known as Pentapolis in antiquity, it was part of the Creta et Cyrenaica province during the Roman period, later divided in Libia Pentapolis and Libia Sicca...
, which consisted of a black field and star and crescent
Star and crescent
A star and crescent featuring in some combination form the basis of symbols widely found across the ancient world, with examples attested from the Eastern Mediterranean and Central Asia....
design, and was later used as the flag of the region. The red represented the blood of the Libyan people who died under the Italian fascist rule, while the green represents the era of independence, freedom and a new start for the Libyan people. The crescent and star represent the main religion of Libya which is Islam.
Libyan Arab Republic (1969–1972)
Pan-Arabism
Pan-Arabism is an ideology espousing the unification--or, sometimes, close cooperation and solidarity against perceived enemies of the Arabs--of the countries of the Arab world, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Arabian Sea. It is closely connected to Arab nationalism, which asserts that the Arabs...
red-white-black tricolor of the Arab Liberation Flag
Pan-Arab colors
The Pan-Arab colors are black, white, green, and red. They were first combined in the flag of the Arab Revolt in 1916. They are used currently in the flags of Jordan, Kuwait, Palestinian Authority, Sahrawi Republic, Sudan, Libya and the United Arab Emirates. A sub-set of the Pan-Arab colors are...
, first flown after the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 (which also formed the basis of the flags of Egypt
Flag of Egypt
The flag of Egypt is a tricolour consisting of the three equal horizontal red, white, and black bands of the Arab Liberation flag dating back to the Egyptian Revolution of 1952. The flag bears Egypt's national emblem, the Eagle of Saladin centered in the white band...
, Iraq
Flag of Iraq
The flag of Iraq consists of the three equal horizontal red, white, and black bands of the Arab Liberation Flag. The flag has been in use since 1963, with several changes to the green symbols in the central white band, the most recent version bearing the Takbir rendered in green. Following the U.S...
, Syria
Flag of Syria
The flag of Syria was re-adopted in 1980. The flag was formerly the flag of the United Arab Republic.-History:The first modern flag of Syria was adopted in 1920, and was similar to the current flag of Jordan with the green and white colours reversed...
, and Yemen
Flag of Yemen
The flag of Yemen was adopted on May 22, 1990, the day that North Yemen and South Yemen were unified. The flag is essentially the Arab Liberation Flag of 1952, introduced after the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 in which Arab nationalism was a dominant theme...
).
Federation of Arab Republics (1972–1977)
In 1972 when Libya joined the Federation of Arab RepublicsFederation of Arab Republics
The Federation of Arab Republics was an abortive attempt by Libya's Muammar Gaddafi to merge Libya, Egypt, and Syria, creating an United Arab state...
its flag was adopted by the country, linking it to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. It featured a golden hawk (the "Hawk of Qureish"), holding a scroll with the Arabic name of the Federation.
Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (1977–2011)
The flag of the Gaddafi-led Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya was adopted on 11 November 1977 and consists of a greenGreen
Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
field. It was the only national flag
National flag
A national flag is a flag that symbolizes a country. The flag is flown by the government, but usually can also be flown by citizens of the country.Both public and private buildings such as schools and courthouses may fly the national flag...
in the world with just one color and no design, insignia, or other details. It was chosen by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
to symbolize his political philosophy (after his Green Book).
The green colour traditionally symbolizes Islam
Green in Islam
Green is considered the traditional color of Islam.-Significance and symbolism:The Arabic word for "greenness" is mentioned several times in the Quran, describing the state of the inhabitants of paradise...
, reflecting the historical green banners of the Fatimid Caliphate. In Libya, green was also a colour traditionally used to represent the Tripolitania
Tripolitania
Tripolitania or Tripolitana is a historic region and former province of Libya.Tripolitania was a separate Italian colony from 1927 to 1934...
region.
National Transitional Council (2011–present)
2011 Libyan civil war
The 2011 Libyan civil war was an armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security...
against the rule of Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
, the 1951–1969 flag – as well as various makeshift versions without the crescent and star symbol, or without the green stripe – came back into use in areas held by the Libyan opposition and by protesters at several Libyan diplomatic missions abroad.
The National Transitional Council
National Transitional Council
The National Transitional Council of Libya , sometimes known as the Transitional National Council, the Interim National Council, or the Libyan National Council,...
, formed on 27 February 2011, adopted the flag previously used in Kingdom of Libya between 1951 and 1969 as the "emblem of the Libyan Republic". The flag was officially defined in article 3 of the Libyan interim Constitutional Declaration
Libyan interim Constitutional Declaration
Libya's National Transitional Council on 3 August 2011 passed a "Constitutional Declaration". The document was publicly announced at a press conference of 10 August by Abdul Hafiz Ghoga, Vice President and official spokesman of the NTC ....
.
The flag was initially used by protesters during the 2011 Libyan civil war
2011 Libyan civil war
The 2011 Libyan civil war was an armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security...
and is being flown at Libyan diplomatic missions supporting the National Transitional Council. On 10 March 2011, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
was the first country to recognize the council as the official government of Libya. On 21 March 2011, the flag was flown by the Permanent Mission of Libya to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and appeared on their official website, and thereafter in late August by the Arab League
Arab League
The Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organisation of Arab states in North and Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia . It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a...
and by Libya's own telecommunications authority, the Libya Telecom & Technology
Libya Telecom & Technology
Libya Telecom & Technology was established in 1997 as a private company. LTT was Libya's main and biggest Internet service provider offering both dial-up and broadband Internet to customers Libya wide. LTT was bought out by the General Posts and Telecommunications Company in 2004...
, on its own website.
This original Flag of Libya is now the only flag flown outside the United Nations to represent Libya, according to the following UN statement:
"Following the adoption by the General Assembly of resolution 66/1, the Permanent Mission of Libya to the United Nations formally notified the United Nations of a Declaration by the National Transitional Council of 3 August 2011 changing the official name of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to "Libya" as well as a decision to change Libya's national flag to the original."