The Qatar national flag is maroon with a broad serrated white band that has nine points. The country adopted the flag shortly before their declaration of independence from the British in 1971. The flag may be confused with the Bahrain flag, but the Bahrain flag has 5 points and is coloured red instead of maroon. Qatar’s flag is also the only flag whose width is twice the height.
Al Adaam, as the flag is named, is a symbol of dignity and unity for the Qatari people. It stimulates their dignity and enthusiasm, while inspiring admiration for the rich history and glory of its local people. It connects their past to the present, instilling a sense of loyalty and belonging to the great country.
Al Adaam (Ladaam) symbolizes the dark red color. It’s the color of the founder’s banner, Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani. The origins of the Qatar flag date back to the early settlers of the Bronze Age who set up a factory that produced purple-red dyes from a certain shellfish species on Jezirat bin Ghannam, near the Al Khor Islands. Upon exposure to the sun, this purple-dye would turn to a maroon color. The dye was exported to other countries and used to make ritual and ceremonial garments for the kings, emperors and other royals.
Each of the Qatar tribes had a flag they called their own before 1851. They used them for festivals, celebrations, and fights. However, in 1851, Sheikh Jasim bin Thani sought to unite all the tribes under one flag. The founder of modern Qatar chose to adopt a purple flag.
The Anglo Qatari Protection Treaty of 1916 brought Qatar under the British Trucial System as the 9th member. Other countries included were Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah Ajman, Abu Dhabi, Ras al-Khaimah, Umm al-Quwain (now collectively known as the United Arab Emirates), and later Bahrain. In line with this treaty, the British decided that Qatar needs a flag in 1932. They proposed a red flag with nine points to mark Qatar as the 9th member. Qatar refused the red color and opted for a maroon flag to symbolize the pride in its history. They kept the nine points and added diamonds that had the maroon color to separate each point. The background also had the name Qatar written in white.
In 1960, Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah Al Thani, ruler at the time, made changes to the flag. He kept the maroon color and serrated points. He got rid of the word Qatar and the diamonds. Since then, this has been the official flag of Qatar. In 1971, the British Protection got abolished, and Qatar joined the United Nations. The maroon and white Qatar flag was raised and recognized as the national flag. During celebrations of Qatar’s 6th National Day in 2012, His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Amir of Qatar changed the flag back to the light maroon color of 1851 instead of the dark. The change was meant to maintain and continue Qatar’s old heritage.
Color
The maroon color symbolizes the culture, history, and heritage of Qatar. It also differentiates it from the Bahrain flag which is red. In 2015, the government of Qatar defined the exact shade of the maroon color on the flag as Pantone 1955C or Qatar maroon. Qatar is known as the earliest producer of shellfish dye, produced in a factory located in the Al Khor Islands.
During Mohammed bin Thani’s rule from 1847 to 1876, the flag unified the state through the purple-red color. The British proposed a change from purple-red to white and red in 1932. However, Qatar rejected the red. They opted for the purple-red and white. The subtropical desert climate of the country tinted the purple color due to the hot sun, and it changed to maroon. These changes led to the state adopting the maroon color in 1949. The white color is a symbol of peace.
Shape
The Qatar flag features nine serrated edges that separate the white and maroon portions. They are a symbol of the inclusion of Qatar as the 9th member of the Persian Gulf Reconciled Emirates, which concluded the Qatari-British treaty in 1916. The flag is in the 11:28 ratio, where the width is twice the height.
In 2012, Emir Shaikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, issued a flag law before the country celebrated its national day. According to the flag law:
Do you know any other interesting facts about the flag of Qatar? Share your thoughts below.
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Very helpful content indeed, I actually knew nothing about Qatar till now. Am looking forward to travelling soon and experiencing the fantastic things I've read. Thank you.
By Frank Kagwima (Sep, 2021) |