Article 23. The symbols of the Republic of Azerbaijan

(extract from the Constitution)

I. The national symbols of the Republic of Azerbaijan are the national flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the national emblem of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

II. The National flag of the Azerbaijan Republic consists of three equal stripes. The upper stripe is blue, the middle stripe is red and the lower stripe is green and in the middle of the red one on both sides of the flag there are a white-collared crescent and eight-point star. The width across length of the flag is 1:2.

III. The image of the national flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the national emblem of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as the music and the text of the National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan are defined by the Constitution.

The State Flag of the Azerbaijan Republic

Photo 1. The Flag

On 9 November 1918, the government of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) adopted a resolution on the state tricolour flag. After the ADR collapsed on 28 April 1920 and Soviet power was established in Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan’s flag was replaced by the Soviet red flag.

On 17 November 1990, the tricolour was restored as the state flag of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic by resolution of the autonomous republic’s Supreme Majlis. At the same session, the Supreme Majlis formally asked the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR to recognize the tricolour as the national symbol of Azerbaijan.

On 5 February 1991, the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan Republic upheld the request to recognize the tricolour as the state flag of Azerbaijan.

According to Article 23.2 of the Republic of Azerbaijan’s Constitution, adopted on 12 November 1995, the flag of the Azerbaijan Republic consists of three stripes of equal width. The upper stripe is blue, the middle stripe is red and the lower stripe is green. In the middle of the red stripe on both sides of the flag are depicted a white crescent and eight-pointed star. The ratio of the flag is 1:2.

The colour blue represents the Turkic origin of Azerbaijani nation, the colour red reflects the modernization of society and development of democracy and green represents Islamic civilization.

The crescent moon on the flag symbolizes Islam, which means solidarity, freedom and assistance.

The eight-pointed star reflects the eight letters in the word “Azerbaijan” in the old alphabet.

According to the Regulation on the State Flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the star and crescent are placed in a section with a ratio of 3:4. The section’s width is half the width of the flag.

The crescent and eight-pointed star are inside a rectangular area 3 x 4. The diagonal of the rectangle is half its width. The crescent consists of the parts of two non-concentric circles. The diameter of the big circle equals the width of the outside rectangle, while the small circle is one-quarter of the flag’s width. The centre of the small circle is on left of the geometric centre of the flag, at a distance equivalent to one- sixtieth of the flag’s width. The eight-pointed star is to the right of the crescent. The diameter of the outer circle around the star is one-sixth of the flag’s width, while the inner circle is one-twelfth.

The National Emblem of the Azerbaijan Republic

Photo 2. National Emblem

The government of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan declared a competition on the national emblem of Azerbaijan on January 30, 1920 and made a decision to present the emblem model on May of the same year. However, due to the collapse of the Azerbaijan democratic Republic On April 28, 1920, the emblem was not approved.

The Supreme Medjlis of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic discussed the issue connected with the national emblem and raised petition in the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijan SSR on declaration of a new competition on the national emblem of Azerbaijan on November 17, 1990.

The competition was declared by the decision of the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijan Republic on February 5, 1991. Tens of projects of the emblem were presented during the competition of 1991-1992 and it was also proposed to approve one of the projects developed in 1919-1920.

By the Constitutional Law of the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijan Republic, approved on January 19, 1993, one of the projects, developed in 1919-1920 with certain alterations was confirmed the national emblem of the Azerbaijan Republic.

The National Emblem of the Azerbaijan Republic symbolizes the independence of Azerbaijan. The national emblem is the image of an oriental shield and a semicircle formed by the branches of an oak-tree and ears resting on it. The shield contains the image of a fire in the centre of an eight-point star against a background of the colours of the National flag of Azerbaijan.

The salient description of the National emblem:

It is attached to:

The residence and the private office of the President of the Azerbaijan republic;

The building of the Parliament of the Azerbaijan Republic, its conference hall and the private office of the chair of the parliament;

All courts, buildings of military tribunals, halls of judicial assembly; private offices of the chairs of the Supreme Court and Constitutional Court of the Azerbaijan Republic;

Buildings of state bodies in cases stipulated in the legislative system of the Azerbaijan Republic;

Buildings of diplomatic and trade representations and consulates of the Azerbaijan Republic

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The Natıonal Anthem of the Azerbaijan Republic

The Council of Ministers of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic carried out a decision on the development of the national anthem of the Republic on January 30, 1920 and for this purpose the Ministry of National Education declared a competition. Yet the collapse of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic on April 28, 1920 prevented this process.

The Parliament approved a law "On the national anthem of the Azerbaijan republic" on May 27, 1992. The law approves the "March of Azerbaijan", created by prominent composer Uzeyir Hadjibeyov and poet Ahmed Djavad in 1919, the national anthem of the Azerbaijan Republic.

Composer:       Uzeyir Hadjibeyov

Text:                Ahmed Djavad

Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan!

The heroic patriotic glorious land!

To die for you we are glad and we are ready!

If there is need to shed blood

We are too ready!

With three-colour banner, live happily!

Sacrifices too many done,

Every soldier to front has gone!

When your chest was field of battle!

Come back as a heroic son!

Let me see you flourish,

Let your enemies perish!

I love you, my dear land

Be mightier we do wish!

To safeguard your sacred land,

To hold high your honoured flag,

All the youngsters are too glad!

Glorious land, glorious land!

Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan!