State symbols
Extract from the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Article 23: Azerbaijan State Symbols
I. State symbols of the Republic of Azerbaijan shall be: the Flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Emblem of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the state anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
II. The Flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan shall consist of three wide stripes. The upper stripe shall be of blue color, the middle stripe shall be red and the lower one shall be green. There shall be a white crescent and eight-pointed star in the middle of the red stripe on both sides of the Flag. The proportion of the width to the length shall be 1 by 2.
III. The design of the Republic of Azerbaijan Flag and the Republic of Azerbaijan State Emblem, the music and the text of the Republic of Azerbaijan state anthem shall be defined by the Constitutional Law.
The Flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan
The national flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan is a symbol of the sovereignty of the Azerbaijani state.
The tricolor flag of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was first adopted at a government meeting on 19 November 1918 and was raised over the building of the Council of Ministers of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (present "Azneft" production association of State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan) where the meeting was held.
The flag, which had a state status until 27 April 1920, the collapse of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, was lowered outside the building of the Azerbaijani Parliament on 3 May 1920 as a result of the occupation of Azerbaijan by the Soviet Russian troops.
Inherited from the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the flag was approved as the national flag of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic at the session held on 17 November 1990 on the initiative of the chairman of the Supreme Assembly of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, national leader Heydar Aliyev.
At the same time, the Supreme Assembly of the Nakhichivan Autonomous Republic appealed to the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan SSR to recognize the three colored flag as an official state symbol of Azerbaijan.
On 5 February 1991, the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan Republic considered the application, and made a decision to recognize the three colored flag as a national flag of Azerbaijan.
Later the national leader said: "I think that the decisions taken by the Supreme Assembly of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic had a great impact on the work of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the Azerbaijani leadership was forced to adopt a number of this kind of decisions. In the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic this flag flew on 17 November 1990, while in Azerbaijan Republic it flied on 5 February 1991."
Under the Order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev dated 17 November 2009, November 9 each year marks the national Flag Day in the country.
Addressing the solemn opening ceremony of the National Flag Square in Baku on 1 September 2010, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev emphasized the importance of the national flag: "Our flag is our source of pride. Our flag is our soul, our heart. Today, the national flag is flying in all parts of Azerbaijan. After the restoration of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, our national flag will also be raised in the lands which are still under occupation. Our flag will fly in Nagorno-Karabakh, Khankandi, Shusha. We must bring that day closer and closer by our work every moment, and we do bring. Long live the Azerbaijani flag!" he said.
In April 2016, the glorious Azerbaijani Army, as a result of a successful counter-offensive military operation, raised the flag of Azerbaijan at the Lalatepe height. After that, Azerbaijan's national flag flew in Jojug Marjanli, where the people could safely live after it was retaken from Armenian occupation.
Under the orders of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Jojug Marjanli was restored in a short time, and the "Return Program" of internally displaced persons to their native lands was launched.
Highly appreciating the Azerbaijani army's services in April victory in 2016, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said: "April battles should be put into military textbooks. From the view points of both professionalism and patriotism, the April battles once again demonstrated that the people of Azerbaijan are heroic people ... April battles are our glorious military victory, the victory showing the strength of our state, our people and our army. As a result of the April fights, the flag of Azerbaijan is flying today in the territories of Fuzuli, Jabrayil and Aghdara districts that are liberated from occupation.
These battles show that the people and state of Azerbaijan will never reconcile with the occupation and restore the territorial integrity of the country at any cost ... We will return to the occupied lands. This is our main task. As today we see our flag lying in the lands that were liberated last year, the flag of Azerbaijan will also be raised in all other still occupied territories."
The blue color of the national flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan has the meaning of Turkic origin of the Azerbaijani people, red color reflects the desire to establish a modern society, and develop democracy, and the green color shows belonging to Islamic civilization.
During the preparation, correction, and printing of color images of the national flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan by industrial method, it must be ensured that its blue color shall comply with Pantone 306C color, red color with Pantone Red 032C color, and green color with Pantone 362C color of Pantone color book.
National Emblem
The National Emblem of the Republic of Azerbaijan is the symbol of independence of the Azerbaijani government.
The modern national emblem is a modified form of a draft coat of arm, which was created during the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.
On 30 January 1920, the government of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic announced a competition on the best national emblem of Azerbaijan and made a decision that a sample of the emblem that wins the competition will be adopted on 28 May the same year. But as a result of the collapse of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic on 28 April 1920, it was impossible to make a decision relating to the National Emblem.
On 17 November 1990, the Supreme Assembly of the Nakhichivan Autonomous Republic, after having discussed the issue relating to the national emblem, appealed to the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan SSR on the announcement of a new contest for the preparation of the national emblem of Azerbaijan.
The competition was announced on 5 February 1991, under the decision of the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan Republic. On 19 January 1993, one of the draft coats of arm developed in 1919-1920 under the Constitutional Law was adopted as the National Emblem of the Republic of Azerbaijan with certain changes.
The national emblem represents an image of an oriental escutcheon placed on the arch composed of oak branches and ears. On the escutcheon on the background of colors of the national flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan, there is an image of an eight-pointed star and in the center of the star, there is an image of the flame.
In the colored description of the National Emblem of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the star is white, the flame is red, the oak branches are green, and the ears are yellow.
State anthem
On 30 January 1920, the government of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic adopted a resolution on preparing the state anthem of the Republic. In this regard, the Ministry of Public Enlightenment announced a competition for the best state anthem. But because of the fall of ADR on 28 April 1920, the state anthem of Azerbaijan was not adopted.
On 27 May 1992, the Azerbaijani Milli Majlis adopted the law "On the state anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan", which approved the "Azerbaijani march", composed by the great composer Uzeyir Hajibayli and written by poet Ahmad Javad, as the state anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The Regulations on the state anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan were approved by the Decree of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated 2 March 1993.
. In 2000-2004, the amendments were made to the Regulations. Under the document, the state anthem shall be performed in the following cases:
· at the beginning and end of the sessions of the Milli Mejlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
· when the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan comes to the sessions of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
· at the opening and closing ceremonies of solemn events and meetings,
· on the occasion of national holidays,
· every day at the beginning and end of the national television and radio programs,
· on the occasion of significant historical events in the life of the Azerbaijani people, during the opening of monuments and plaques for prominent political, state and military leaders, national heroes, scientists, literature and art figures,
· during the flag raising ceremony at the events held by state and public institutions, entities, bodies and organizations, and during other solemn ceremonies,
· other cases demanding obligatory performance of the state anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan may also be envisaged by the legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan,
In all cases, the state anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan is to be performed completely.
-after the playing of the state anthem of the visiting country during ceremonies to welcome/see off heads of state and government of foreign countries who visit the Republic of Azerbaijan for official meetings.
Hailing the peculiarities of the anthem, national leader Heydar Aliyev said: "We must love our state anthem, and our flag as much as we love ourselves. Because this is a symbol of loyalty, love and affection to our homeland, our nation, and our state."
State anthem's
Music by: Useyir Hajibayli
Words by: Ahmad Javad
Download the National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan (2 MB, .mp3)