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Editors' PicksLocal History

Tunisia’s Flag — One of World’s Oldest Continuously Used National Flags3 min read

By Contributing Editor October 20, 2021
Written by Contributing Editor October 20, 2021
The Tunisian Flag

The Tunisian flag rarely goes unnoticed. This flag composed of a red field with a centered white sun-disc containing a red five-pointed star surrounded by a red crescent is not just a distinctive visual icon – it also happens to have a fascinating story.

The Tunisian Flag — A Fascinating Story

After the Tunisian naval division was destroyed in the Battle of Navarino on October 20, 1827, Al-Husayn II ibn Mahmud, the sovereign Husainid Dynasty leader, decided to create a flag to distinguish the Tunisian fleet from other fleets.

Tunisia’s red and white flag, adopted as the national flag in 1827. It derives from Al-Husayn II ibn Mahmud’s naval ensign for the Kingdom of Tunis in 1831.

The naval ensign of the Tunisian navy from the 1830s, and national flag of Tunisia from 1959 to 1999, with a slightly thinner crescent than in the current design.
Red, the color of the flag, is a traditional color that symbolizes Islam. It also is symbolic of the resistance against the Turkish supremacy. Red was the color the Ottoman Empire used who ruled Tunisia from 16th century to 1881.

The current Tunisian flag was adopted on July 3, 1959. The flag is very similar to the original naval flag of the kingdom of Tunis that was used by Al-Husayn II ibn Mahmud, the monarch of Tunis in the 1830’s. This makes the Tunisian flag, according to multiple sources, the third oldest continuously used national flag in the world, right after Denmark and Austria.

The flag has a description that is an exercise in symbolism and history. The flag itself is bright red. There is a white disc, or circle, that is in the middle of the flag. The disc holds both a Crescent and a Star.

Red, the color of the flag is a traditional color that symbolizes Islam. It is also a symbolic of the resistance against the Turkish supremacy. The Red color does also represent the the blood of every Tunisian who was killed defending the country from the French invasion.

The five-pointed star symbolizes that all Muslims are united in their beliefs and are united with the Five Pillars of Islam. The Five Pillars of Islam are the meanings that each Muslim lives by. Each of the Five Pillars has a different meaning.

Flag of Tunisia — A Source of National Pride

Flag of Tunisia.
Flag of Tunisia.

It’s hard to travel around Tunisia without encountering the national flag. Naturally, it can be seen flapping proudly in city centers, on administrative buildings but you will also see it on the balconies of farms, on planes and in different other places.


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Contributing Editor account at Carthage Magazine. Tunisia's premier English general-interest Magazine with thousands of page-views per month and over 200,000 social media followers.

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