A brief overview of the meaning, history, and key facts about the national flag of Iraq.
Flag of Iraq
The national flag of Iraq consists of three horizontal stripes of red, white, and black, which are part of the traditional pan-Arab colors. The phrase “Allahu Akbar” (“God is Greater”) is written in green Kufic script across the center of the white stripe.
Printable Iraq Flag (PNG Download)
Interesting facts about Iraq’s flag
1. The current version of the flag was adopted in 2008, when three stars from an earlier design were removed.
2. The phrase on the flag is known as the takbir, an Arabic expression used widely in Islamic tradition.
3. The words “Allahu Akbar” (“God is Greater”) were added to the Iraqi flag in 1991 during the Gulf War.
4. Kufic calligraphy, one of the oldest styles of Arabic writing, originated in the Iraqi city of Kufa and was widely used in the calligraphy of Qurans.
5. The colors of Iraq’s flag, red, white, black, and green, are known as the pan-Arab colors, which symbolize Arab unity and appear on the flags of many countries in the Middle East.
Explore more about Iraq:
Evolution of Iraq’s flag
Kingdom of Iraq (1921–1959)
The first modern flag of Iraq featured horizontal black, white, and green stripes with a red hoist shape, later modified to include two white stars.
Republic of Iraq (1959–1963)
After the monarchy was overthrown, Iraq adopted a new vertical tricolor of black, white, and green with a red star and yellow sun in the center.
Republic of Iraq (1963–1991)
In 1963, Iraq adopted a horizontal red, white, and black tricolor with three green stars in the center. The stars originally referred to the proposed union of Iraq, Egypt, and Syria.
Republic of Iraq (1991–2004)
During the Gulf War, the phrase “Allahu Akbar” was added in green Arabic script between the stars, creating a new version of the flag associated with Saddam Hussein’s rule.
Republic of Iraq (2004–2008)
After the fall of Saddam Hussein, the inscription remained but was redrawn in Kufic script rather than the earlier handwritten form.
History of Iraq’s flag
Early national flags
The first modern Iraqi flag was introduced during the monarchy and was inspired by the flag of the Arab Revolt.
It used the colors black, white, green, and red, which later became a lasting feature of Iraqi flag designs.
Republican redesigns
After the 1958 revolution abolished the monarchy, Iraq adopted a very different flag in 1959. This version used vertical stripes and included symbols intended to represent different elements of Iraqi identity.
In 1963, Iraq replaced this design with a horizontal red, white, and black tricolor featuring three green stars. The stars were originally linked to plans for Arab unity involving Iraq, Egypt, and Syria.
Addition of the takbir
In 1991, during the Gulf War, the phrase “Allahu Akbar” was added to the center of the flag between the stars. The inscription was widely believed to be based on the handwriting of Iraq’s president at the time, Saddam Hussein.
This changed the appearance of the 1963 design without altering its overall tricolor structure.
Post-2003 changes
After the fall of Saddam Hussein, Iraq kept the basic flag design but changed the style of the inscription in 2004, replacing the earlier handwriting with Kufic calligraphy.
In 2008, the three stars were removed entirely, creating the current version of the Iraqi flag.
Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. With seven years of teaching experience and a background in educational content, she specialises in creating clear reference resources about countries, geography and global topics.