The Pan-Arab colors are

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combi ...

and

red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...

. Individually, each of the four Pan-Arab colors were intended to represent a certain aspect of the Arabs and their history. The black represents the

Black Standard The Black Banner or Black Standard ( ar, الراية السوداء, ar-rāyat as-sawdāʾ, also known as (, "banner of the eagle" or simply as , , "the banner") is one of the flags flown by the Islamic prophet Muhammad according to Muslim tr ...

used by the Rashidun Caliphate and the

Abbasid Caliphate The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib ...

, while white was the dynastic color of the

Umayyad Caliphate The Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE; , ; ar, ٱلْخِلَافَة ٱلْأُمَوِيَّة, al-Khilāfah al-ʾUmawīyah) was the second of the four major caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. The caliphate was ruled by th ...

. Green is a color associated with the primary religion of Islam – and therefore also a color representative of the Rashidun Caliphate. Green is also identified as the color of the Fatimid Caliphate by some modern sources, but that is not correct: their dynastic color was white. Finally, red was the

Hashemite The Hashemites ( ar, الهاشميون, al-Hāshimīyūn), also House of Hashim, are the royal family of Jordan, which they have ruled since 1921, and were the royal family of the kingdoms of Hejaz (1916–1925), Syria (1920), and Iraq (1921� ...

dynastic color. The four colors also derived their potency from a verse by 14th century Arab poet Safi al-Din al-Hilli: "White are our acts, black our battles, green our fields, and red our swords." Pan-Arab colors, used individually in the past, were first combined in 1916 in the

flag of the Arab Revolt The flag of the Arab Revolt, also known as the flag of Hejaz, was a flag used by the Arab nationalists during the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire during World War I, and as the first flag of the Kingdom of Hejaz. History It has been sug ...

or Flag of Hejaz, designed by the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

diplomat Sir Mark Sykes. Many current flags are based on Arab Revolt colors, such as the flags of

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

Kuwait Kuwait (; ar, الكويت ', or ), officially the State of Kuwait ( ar, دولة الكويت '), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated in the northern edge of Eastern Arabia at the tip of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to the nort ...

, Palestine, the

Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (; SADR; also romanized with Saharawi; ar, الجمهورية العربية الصحراوية الديمقراطية ' es, República Árabe Saharaui Democrática), also known as Western Sahara, is a ...

, and the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia ( The Middle East). It is located at t ...

. In the 1950s, a subset of the Pan-Arab colors, the Arab Liberation colors, came to prominence. These consist of a tricolor of red, white and black bands, with green given less prominence or not included. The ''Arab Liberation tricolor'' or the ''Arab Liberation Flag'' was mainly inspired by the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 and Egypt's official flag under president Mohamed Naguib.M. Naguib, ''Egypt's Destiny'', 1955 which became the basis for the current flags of

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...

, Sudan, Syria and

Yemen Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...

(and formerly in the flags of the rival states of

North Yemen North Yemen may refer to: * Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen (1918–1962) * Yemen Arab Republic The Yemen Arab Republic (YAR; ar, الجمهورية العربية اليمنية '), also known simply as North Yemen or Yemen (Sanaʽa), was a ...

and South Yemen), and in the short-lived Arab unions of the

United Arab Republic The United Arab Republic (UAR; ar, الجمهورية العربية المتحدة, al-Jumhūrīyah al-'Arabīyah al-Muttaḥidah) was a sovereign state in the Middle East from 1958 until 1971. It was initially a political union between Eg ...

and the

Federation of Arab Republics The Federation of Arab Republics (FAR; ar, اتحاد الجمهوريات العربية, , ) was an unsuccessful attempt by Muammar Gaddafi to merge Libya, Egypt and Syria in order to create a unified Arab state. Although approved by a r ...

Current flags with Pan-Arab colors

UN member and observer states

File:Flag of Egypt.svg,

File:Flag of Iraq.svg,

File:Flag of Jordan.svg,

File:Flag of Kuwait.svg,

File:Flag of Libya.svg,

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...

File:Flag of Palestine.svg, State of Palestine File:Flag of Sudan.svg, Sudan File:Flag of Syria.svg, Syria File:Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg,

File:Flag of Yemen.svg,

Unrecognized and partially recognized states

File:Flag of Somaliland.svg, Republic of Somaliland File:Flag of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.svg,

First-level administrative divisions

File:Governadorat de Faium.png, Faiyum Governorate, Egypt File:Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg, Emirate of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates

Former national flags with the Pan-Arab colors

File:Flag of Hejaz 1917.svg, Hejaz (1917–20),Kingdom of Hejaz 1915–1925
Crwflags.com OET Administration (1918–20),Historical Flags Overview (Syria)
Crwflags.com Palestine File:Flag of Kingdom of Syria (1920-03-08 to 1920-07-24).svg, Syria – File:Flag of Hejaz 1920.svg, Hejaz (1920–26) and

Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd The Kingdom of Hejaz and Nejd ( ar, مملكة الحجاز ونجد, '), initially the Kingdom of Hejaz and Sultanate of Nejd (, '), was a dual monarchy ruled by Abdulaziz following the victory of the Saudi Sultanate of Nejd over the Hashemite ...

(1926-1932), Transjordan (1921–28) File:Flag of Iraq 1924.svg,

(1921–59) File:Flag of the Emirate of Transjordan.svg, Transjordan (1928–39)Historical Flags (Jordan)
Crwflags.com File:Syria-flag 1932-58 1961-63.svg, Syria and , used currently (2011 onwards) by the Syrian Interim Government and the Free Syrian Army File:Flag of Egypt (1952-1958).svg,

(1952–1958, File:Flag of the Arab Federation.svg, Arab Federation of Jordan and Iraq – File:Flag of the United Arab Republic.svg, (1958–61), File:Flag of Iraq 1959-1963.svg,

(1959–63) File:Flag of North Yemen.svg,

(1962–90) File:Flag of Iraq (1963-1991).svg,

(1963–91)Evolution of the Iraqi Flag, 1963–2008
Crwflags.com File:Flag of Syria (1963-1972, 1-2).svg, Syria（1963-72） File:Flag of Palestine - short triangle.svg, Palestine (1964–2006)Historical Flags (Palestine)
, Crwflags.com File:Flag of Arab Republic of Hadhramaut.svg, Flag of

Hadhramaut Hadhramaut ( ar, حَضْرَمَوْتُ \ حَضْرَمُوتُ, Ḥaḍramawt / Ḥaḍramūt; Hadramautic: 𐩢𐩳𐩧𐩣𐩩, ''Ḥḍrmt'') is a region in South Arabia, comprising eastern Yemen, parts of western Oman and southern Saud ...

(1967–69) File:Flag of South Yemen.svg, South Yemen (1967–90), used currently (2007 onwards) by the South Yemen Movement File:Flag of Libya (1969–1972).svg,

(1969–72) File:Flag of Egypt 1972.svg,

File:Flag of Lower Yafa.svg,

Lower Yafa Lower Yafa, Lower Yafa'i ( '), or the Sultanate of Lower Yafa ( ar, سلطنة يافع السفلى ''),'' was a state in the British Aden Protectorate. Lower Yafa was ruled by the Al Afifi dynasty and its capital was at Jaar. This former sult ...

File:Mahraflag.svg,

Mahra Sultanate The Mahra Sultanate, known in its later years as the Mahra State of Qishn and Socotra ( ar, الدولة المهرية للبر وسقطرى ') or sometimes the Mahra Sultanate of Ghayda and Socotra ( ar, سلطنة المهرة في الغيض� ...

(1895–1967) File:Drapeau de la République Arabe Islamique (Union tuniso-libyenne).svg, Arab Islamic Republic (proposed 1974, File:Flag of Iraq, 1991-2004.svg,

(1991–2004) File:Flag of Iraq (2004-2008).svg, Iraq (2004–08)

Flags of Arab political and paramilitary movements using Pan-Arab colors

File:Flag of al-Mountada al-Adabi.svg, Flag of Ottoman era Istanbul-based autonomist File:Sdsdsd.svg, Flag of Ottoman era autonomist File:Flag of the Ba'ath Party.svg, Flag of the Ba'ath Party (1947–present), also used by the National Democratic Front for the Liberation of Oman and the Arabian Gulf (active 1969–71) File:Flag of the Popular Front for the Liberation of the Occupied Arabian Gulf.svg, Flag of the National Liberation Front of Yemen (1963–78), the

Dhofar Liberation Front Dhofar Liberation Front (DLF) ( ar, جبهة تحرير ظفار) was a communist front that was established to create a separatist state in Dhofar, the southern province of Oman, which shared a border with South Yemen. The DLF was established b ...

(1965–68), and the

Popular Front for the Liberation of the Occupied Arabian Gulf The Popular Front for the Liberation of the Occupied Arabian Gulf ( ar, الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير الخليج العربي المحتل, abbreviated PFLOAG), later renamed the Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman and the Arabian ...

(1968–74) File:Flag of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman.svg, Flag of the

Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman The Popular Front for the Liberation of Oman (in ar, الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير عُمان, al-Jabha aš-Šaʿbiyya li-Taḥrīr ʿUmān, PFLO) was a Marxist and Arab nationalist revolutionary organisation in the Sultanate of Oman. ...

(1974–92) File:Flag of Arabistan.svg, Flag used by Arab separatists and autonomists in Khuzestan,

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

Al-Ahwaz (Khuzestan) Political Organizations (Iran)
on crwflags.com File:Flag of Al-Ahwaz.svg, Flag used by the separatist organizations the National Council of Ahwaz and the

National Liberation Movement of Ahwaz The National Liberation Movement of Ahwaz ( ar, حركة التحرير الوطني الأحوازي, Harakit al-Taḥrīr al-Watani Al-Ahwazi; abbreviated NLMA) is an Arab nationalist and separatist organisation whose goal is to establish an ind ...

in Khuzestan,

File:Flag of the Arab Movement of Azawad.svg, Flag of the Arab Movement of Azawad (2012–present) File:Al-Quds flag.svg, Flag of Arab Jerusalem File:Flag of the Syrian Salvation Government.svg, Flag of the Syrian Salvation Government File:Red flag.svg, Red dynastic color, used by the Hashemites (The Prophet of Islam

Muhammad Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mo ...

) File:Umayyad Flag.svg, White dynastic color, used by

Umayyads Umayyads may refer to: *Umayyad dynasty, a Muslim ruling family of the Caliphate (661–750) and in Spain (756–1031) *Umayyad Caliphate (661–750) :*Emirate of Córdoba (756–929) :*Caliphate of Córdoba The Caliphate of Córdoba ( ar, خ ...

(661–750) and the Fatimids (909–1171) and the Rashidun Caliphate File:Black flag.svg,

used by the Abbasids (750–1258)The

Abbasid Revolution The Abbasid Revolution, also called the Movement of the Men of the Black Raiment, was the overthrow of the Umayyad Caliphate (661–750 CE), the second of the four major Caliphates in early Islamic history, by the third, the Abbasid Caliphate ...

against the

adopted black for its ''rāyaʾ'' for which their partisans were called the 's. and the Rashidun Caliphate File:Rectangular green flag.svg, Green, associated with the Rashidun Caliphate

References

External links

Pan-Arab colors

by Dr. Mahdi Abdul-Hadi (in Arabic) {{Vexillology Arab nationalist symbols Color schemes Flags by colour

Colors Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associa ...

Colors, Pan-Arab Color in culture