flag of Morocco

In the Early Middle Ages, during the westward expansion of Islamic armies across Africa, traditions concerning flags were established  that continue to influence flags in use today. For example, Muslim forces favoured large military flags of plain colours that they associated with specific dynasties. The field of a typical flag was covered with stylized ornamentation and/or inscriptions from the Qurʾān. Even when the ruling dynasties of Morocco, the “Farthest West,” were independent of control from Cairo or Istanbul, their flags were characterized by a single colour (usually red or white), with or without inscriptions. Sometimes local symbols—including the Sword of ʿAlī, the Hand of Fāṭimah, or the crescent and star—were introduced, although some of these were based on Berber heritage, which long predated Islam.

In the 20th century, when Morocco was subject to the rule of France and Spain, local flag traditions were restricted. The plain red flag that had been displayed by the ships of Morocco was modified by the French on November 17, 1915. To its centre was added the ancient pentagram known as the Seal, or Pentacle, of Solomon. It has a long history in ancient cultures over wide geographic and religious areas, and its meanings are quite different from the five-pointed star of modern flags, first popularized by the United States. The green pentagram on a red field was continued in use by Morocco even after French recognition of the country’s independence in 1956.