History of the Syria Flag: Independence Flag, UAR, Assad Era & 2024 Return
Syria has changed flags several times as its political system shifted between independence, Arab unions, Baathist rule and the post-Assad transition.
1930s: the independence flag
The green-white-black tricolour with three red stars emerged during the French Mandate period and became strongly associated with the Syrian republic and independence movement.
1946: flag of independent Syria
After Syria achieved full independence from France, the three-star flag remained a major symbol of the new republic.
1958: the United Arab Republic
Syria joined Egypt to form the United Arab Republic. The new union adopted a red-white-black tricolour with two green stars, one for Egypt and one for Syria.
1961: brief return to the independence flag
After Syria left the United Arab Republic, the green-white-black three-star flag returned briefly.
1963–1980: Baathist and Arab-union flags
Following the Baathist coup, Syria used several red-white-black designs tied to projects of Arab unity, including versions with three green stars and later the Hawk of Quraish.
1980–2024: the two-star flag
The red-white-black flag with two green stars, originally created for the United Arab Republic, was restored in 1980 and remained the state flag throughout the Assad era.
December 2024: the independence flag returns
After the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government, the green-white-black flag with three red stars returned to official state use. It remains in use by Syrian institutions in 2026.
Why this history matters
Syria’s flags are closely tied to different political eras. A flag with two green stars usually points to the Assad/UAR tradition, while the current three-red-star flag connects the post-2024 state with the earlier independence republic.
