The Kurdistan National Flag, also known as Ala Rengin, is a symbol that carries the thousands-year-old story of the Kurdish people to the skies. At its center, a golden-yellow sun with 21 rays shines amidst red, white, and green stripes. This flag was adopted in 1920 through a national consensus among Kurdish leaders and has since represented the unity, hope, and revival of the Kurdish people. In 1927, it was reaffirmed as the National Flag during the National Congress. So, what does this flag tell us? How did it take its current form? Where do its roots lie? Let’s explore this story step by step, like a tale—so simple, so heartfelt, that everyone will feel it in their heart.
Note: This article was authored by Bedel Boseli and has been verified by Professor Dr. Mehrdad R. Izady, the scholar who standardized the flag's design.
1) The History of the Kurdistan National Flag: When, by whom, and why it was adopted, along with original documents
2) Click here for the article The Meaning of the Kurdistan Flag (Topic: Why the Kurdistan Flag features a sun, why the sun has 21 rays, the significance of the number 21 in ancient Kurdish beliefs, and the connection of the colors and proportions to thousands of years of Kurdistan history)
3) Click here for The Standards of the Kurdistan Flag (Topic: The standard measurements and rules to be followed when drawing, designing, or sewing the Kurdistan Flag)
Imagine walking through the mountains of Kurdistan or a street anywhere in the world. In your hand is a flag: the Kurdistan National Flag, known as Ala Rengin. At the top, a red stripe; in the middle, a pure white stripe; at the bottom, a vibrant green stripe. And at its heart, a golden-yellow sun with 21 rays, as if smiling at life.
These colors aren’t arbitrary. They are distilled from thousands of years of Kurdish beliefs and culture:
The flag’s shape is no coincidence either. Its length is 1.5 times its width. For example, if the length is 3 meters, the width is 2 meters; if the length is 90 cm, the width is 60 cm. This ratio traces back 2,700 years to the symbols of the Med Empire, the ancestors of the Kurds. The Shêrzil emblem drawn by Saladin Ayyubi on his citadel in Silvan also follows this ratio. This ensures the flag waves with the same elegance everywhere.
The sun at the flag’s center is no ordinary sun. It has 21 rays, each whispering a story. In Kurdish culture, the number 21 signifies “revival” and “rebirth.” Our ancestors said, “Even if we die, we rise again and start anew.” That’s why you see 21-rayed sun motifs on ancient Kurdish gravestones, like those at the Ayyubid Citadel in Erbil.
The topmost ray stands upright, representing the one, singular Creator. The other 20 rays are aligned in balance, looking to it. The first ray is at the center and the highest; it does not waver, nor can it, for it is both the symbol of the singular Creator and the heart of the flag.
There’s also a misconception: some claim the 21 rays symbolize Newroz (March 21) or come from Zoroastrianism. Not true! Newroz, in the Gregorian calendar, falls on March 21, but in the ancient Kurdish calendar, it is March 1. The 21 rays have symbolized revival in Kurdish culture for thousands of years. The Kurdistan National Flag has no connection to Zoroastrianism, nor do ancient Kurdish beliefs, contrary to popular assumptions. The sun is the essence of Kurdish culture, found on ancient gravestones and temples. It is the soul of Kurdistan.
One day, historian Prof. Dr. Mehrdad Izady sat at his desk. Before him was the flag accepted by Kurdish representatives in 1920 and reaffirmed by the Xoybun Kurdistan National Congress in 1927. “This flag must unite all Kurds,” he said. “But everyone must make it the same way! The red shouldn’t be dark in one place and light in another. The sun shouldn’t have 16 rays in one version and 30 in another.”
So, in 1998, he documented the flag’s standards. He asked design expert Dr. Bijan A. Eliasi, “Can you design the flag according to these standards?” Eliasi did so. That same year, the International Flag Institute approved these standards. In 1999, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Parliament in Erbil unanimously adopted this flag officially. Today, Kurds worldwide wave Ala Rengin as the Kurdistan National Flag according to these standards.
The flag’s 3:2 ratio is no accident. Dr. Izady studied the emblems of the Med Empire and Saladin Ayyubi’s symbols. They all followed this ratio. “This is our tradition,” he said. Thus, the flag was designed with a balanced and elegant 3:2 ratio. For example, if the flag’s length is 3 meters, its width must be 2 meters; if the length is 90 cm, the width is 60 cm. In other words, if the length is 3x, the width is 2x. This is called the 3:2 ratio.
Izady standardized the colors:
The yellow color, in particular, causes issues. Some use dark yellows, dimming the sun’s radiance. Izady insisted, “It must be #FFCC00; technically, it’s the best,” and this was added to the standards. These standard colors make the flag’s spirit shine in the sky.
Dr. Izady wove the flag with thousands of years of Kurdish history and culture. “This isn’t just fabric; it’s the story of the Kurdish people,” he said. The Kurdistan Regional Government adheres to these rules, but some around the world use incorrect colors or shapes. Do it right!
This flag is like a thousands-year-old tale. Let’s embark on a journey through time!
2,700 years ago, the Medes, ancestors of the Kurds, established the Med Empire, spanning from Pakistan to Anatolia and the Black Sea. Their emblems were designed in a 3:2 ratio. The sun on these emblems symbolized hope and rebirth. The Med emblem in their capital, Ecbatana (modern-day Hamadan), features a figure holding a sun in this ratio. Our flag sprouted from these seeds.
In the 1200s, the great Kurdish leader Saladin Ayyubi built a tower in Silvan. On it was the Shêrzil symbol, again in a 3:2 ratio. Founding the Ayyubid Empire, this leader championed coexistence among all peoples and religious groups, becoming a symbol of world peace. The 3:2 ratio on the Kurdistan National Flag comes from their emblems.
In 1920, Kurdish representatives founded the Kurdistan Teali Cemiyeti (Kurdistan Development Council). Leaders like Sheikh Said, Seyid Rıza, Saidi Kurdi, and the Bedirhani and Baban families said, “We need a national flag to introduce the Kurds to the world.” They adopted a flag with red, white, and green stripes and a yellow sun at its center, agreed upon through national consensus as the Kurdistan National Flag.
In 1927, the Xoybun Kurdistan National Congress was established. They declared the Kurdistan Republic in Ağrı. Regarding the flag, the Congress decided, “The flag adopted in 1920 is already our symbol.” Thus, they reaffirmed the same flag. This is identical to today’s Kurdistan flag.
Prof. Dr. Izady took the Kurdistan National Flag, adopted through national unity in 1920 and 1927, and standardized it based on thousands of years of Kurdish culture, beliefs, and history. The Kurdistan Regional Government officially flies this flag. But some use incorrect colors or shapes. To honor the flag’s story, we must always do it right.
When drawing the flag, mistakes sometimes happen. Here are the most common:
Ala Rengin is more than a flag; it is a people’s story, hope, and revival. The red, white, and green colors and the yellow sun at its center carry a thousands-year-old legacy to the skies. This flag has journeyed from the symbols of the Medes, Saladin Ayyubi’s Shêrzil emblem, and the Kurdish unity of 1920 and 1927 to today. With every wave, it declares, “We are here, we are alive, and we are hopeful.”
Oh, Kurdish friend and friend of Kurds, embrace this history. Wave your flag with the correct colors and shapes. Because this flag is not just fabric; it is the heart of the Kurdish people, their national symbol.
The article you are reading is about the history of the Kurdistan National Flag. Additionally, there are two more articles:
1) The History of the Kurdistan National Flag: When, by whom, and why it was adopted, along with original documents
2) Click here for the article The Meaning of the Kurdistan Flag (Topic: Why the Kurdistan Flag features a sun, why the sun has 21 rays, the significance of the number 21 in ancient Kurdish beliefs, and the connection of the colors and proportions to thousands of years of Kurdistan history)
3) Click here for The Standards of the Kurdistan Flag (Topic: The standard measurements and rules to be followed when drawing, designing, or sewing the Kurdistan Flag)
