A brief overview of the meaning, history, and key facts about the national flag of Syria.
Syria flag
The national flag of Syria consists of three equal horizontal stripes of green, white, and black, with three red five-pointed stars centered on the white stripe. The colors reference important periods of Arab and Islamic history: green represents the Rashidun Caliphate, white the Umayyad Caliphate, and black the Abbasid Caliphate. The three red stars traditionally represent the regions of Damascus, Aleppo, and Deir ez-Zor, while also symbolizing freedom, dignity, and justice.
Printable Syria Flag (PNG Download)
Interesting facts about Syria’s flag
1. The current Syrian flag is commonly known as the Flag of Independence because it was first adopted during the period of the First Syrian Republic in 1932.
2. The flag was re-adopted by the Syrian opposition in 2011 as a symbol of Syria’s pre-1958 national identity and independence.
3. The red color of the stars commemorates the sacrifices made by Syrians who died in the struggle for freedom and independence.
4. The green, white, black, and red colors belong to the traditional pan-Arab colors, which appear on the flags of many Arab countries and are associated with historic Arab dynasties and movements.
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Evolution of Syria’s flag
Flag of the First Syrian Republic (1932–1958)
A green, white, and black tricolor with three red stars.
Flag of the United Arab Republic (1958–1961)
Following the union of Syria and Egypt, a red, white, and black tricolor with two green stars was adopted. The stars represented the two member states of the union.
Flag of Syria (1961–1963)
After withdrawing from the United Arab Republic, Syria restored the independence flag with three red stars.
Flag of Syria (1963–1972)
Following the Ba’athist coup, a new flag featuring three green stars was introduced.
Flag of Syria (1972–1980)
Syria adopted the flag of the Federation of Arab Republics, featuring the Hawk of Quraish.
Flag of Syria (1980–2024)
The country returned to the red, white, and black tricolor with two green stars, based on the former United Arab Republic flag.
History of Syria’s flag
Early national flag
The origins of the modern Syrian flag date to the French Mandate period. In 1932, the Syrian Republic adopted a green, white, and black tricolor with three red stars.
The flag remained a symbol of Syrian independence and was retained after the country achieved full independence from France in 1946.
Union with Egypt
In 1958, Syria united with Egypt to form the United Arab Republic. A new flag featuring two green stars was adopted to represent the two member states.
When Syria left the union in 1961, it briefly restored the earlier independence flag.
Ba’athist era
Following the Ba’athist coup in 1963, Syria adopted several different flags reflecting proposed Arab unions and political changes. These included a three-star version of the flag and later the flag of the Federation of Arab Republics.
In 1980, Syria returned to the red, white, and black flag with two green stars, which remained the country’s national flag for more than four decades.
Restoration of the independence flag
The green, white, and black independence flag became a widely used symbol of the Syrian opposition during the Syrian Revolution beginning in 2011.
Following the fall of the Assad government, the flag was officially reinstated as Syria’s national flag in 2025.
Explore more: Asian flags.
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.