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The flag of Morocco is made of a red field with a black-bordered green interwoven star.

At the time of the Marinid and Saadi dynasties ruling, the Moroccan flag used to be completely white. It’s only around 1666, that the Alaouite Dynasty changed the flag color from white to deep red, which is the color symbol of the descendants of Prophet Muhammad. The red-only flag stayed the same until the beginning of the French protectorate, during which period, red-colored flags started to create a general confusion because of the new communist nations who adopted red as a color for their own flags as well.

Rachid Sbihi, a Moroccan historian and numismatic specialist, says that the decision taken then, was to keep the red-only flag as a symbol for the Royal Makhzen while the national flag would bear a 6-branch green star in its center. It would stay like this until the royal Dahir of 1915 would for ever change the 6-branch star to a 5-branch star.

The 6-branch star used in the Moroccan flag is also known as the Seal of Solomon (Sulaïman in Arabic) or the Star of David. However, this is a misconception since the 6-branch star is a symbol of life, wisdom and good health common to all three monotheistic religions. The Seal of Solomon was also stamped on the 100 and 200 francs coins as well as on some Makhzen stamps until 1954.

According to Rachid Sbihi, it seems that the change of stars was done by General Lyautey when getting ready to send Moroccan troops to fight during World War I. Rachid Sbihi points out that reasons why General Lyautey would do such a thing were neither clear nor valid. The Moroccan people however, were given another explanation that could be the right one: the new star was best adapted to the country’s religion and faith since the 5 branches could symbolize the 5 pillars of Islam.

The new flag however would only be displayed flush on the ground until Morocco's independence in 1956.

[edit] External links

• Morocco at Flags of the World

National flags	National coats of arms
Flags of sovereign states	Coats of arms of sovereign states
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Flags of formerly independent states

de:Flagge Marokkos

es:Bandera de Marruecos fr:Drapeau du Maroc it:Bandiera marocchina he:דגל מרוקו hu:Marokkó zászlaja nl:Vlag van Marokko ja:モロッコの国旗 no:Marokkos flagg pl:Flaga Maroka pt:Bandeira de Marrocos ro:Steagul Marocului ru:Флаг Марокко sv:Marockos flagga wa:Drapea do Marok