Egypt’s flag is a horizontal tricolour of red, white, and black with the golden Eagle of Saladin centred in the white band. Adopted by law in 1984, it continues the pan‑Arab palette introduced after the 1952 Revolution. Red commemorates sacrifice and struggle; white evokes the revolution’s ‘bloodless’ success; black marks the end of oppression and colonial rule. Earlier variants reflected shifting unions and regimes—the green royal flag (1922–1953), the Arab Liberation Flag after 1953, and UAR stars (1958–1961). Protocol sets a 2:3 ratio, correct colours and emblem drawing, half‑masting rules, and respectful handling across ministries, armed forces, and diplomatic missions.
The modern Egyptian flag condenses a long political arc—from monarchy, through revolution and trans‑Arab unions, to a republican state with settled heraldry.
Before the twentieth century Egypt had no “national” flag in the modern sense, though banners and standards proliferated under Mamluk, Ottoman, and dynastic regimes. In the nineteenth century, amid reforms under Muhammad Ali and his successors, distinct red flags bearing crescents and stars appeared to signal Egyptian authority within the Ottoman sphere. The Khedivate (1867–1914) commonly used a red ensign charged with three crescents and stars.
The Kingdom of Egypt, proclaimed in 1922 following nominal independence from Britain, adopted a green flag charged with a white crescent and three stars. Read widely as symbols of Islam and the country’s religious communities, the design flew through the interwar era and Second World War.
The 1952 Revolution ended the monarchy and spawned the Arab Liberation Flag: horizontal red‑white‑black bands for pan‑Arab unity, with a central emblem that changed as unions formed and dissolved. In 1958 Egypt and Syria created the United Arab Republic (UAR) and replaced the central device with two green stars for the two republics. Although the UAR ended in 1961, Egyptian emblems continued to evolve—most notably the Hawk of Quraish—while retaining the tricolour.
Law No. 144 of 1984 fixed the current design: the three bands with the golden Eagle of Saladin centred in the white stripe, holding a scroll with the state name. Implementing regulations define colour references, the eagle’s proportions, and placement to ensure uniform manufacture. The ratio is 2:3 in most uses, with authorised variants for military colours and presidential standards.
Protocol
governs respectful handling (no contact with the ground, proper illumination at night), half‑masting during national mourning, and precedence when co‑displayed with foreign flags. Government buildings, schools, courts, and diplomatic posts display the flag under detailed circulars; ships and service branches use specialised ensigns tied to international practice.
Symbolism
blends historic and revolutionary readings. Red recalls sacrifice and the struggle preceding 1952; white commemorates the revolution’s success; black marks the end of oppression. The Eagle of Saladin—an emblem with medieval resonance in Cairo’s citadel—speaks to sovereignty and continuity across regimes.
In public life the tricolour is ubiquitous on Revolution Day (23 July), Sinai Liberation Day (25 April), and national commemorations. It appears in sport and civic ceremonies, and its contours are taught in civics curricula with guidance on proper treatment and retirement.
Thus Egypt’s banner is both pan‑Arab and specifically Egyptian: a republican tricolour stamped with the Saladin eagle, expressing the historical narrative of monarchy ended, sovereignty asserted, and state continuity maintained by law and protocol.