Syria Flag: Meaning, Colors, History & Current Design
Syria’s current national flag has green, white and black horizontal bands with three red stars. The historic independence flag returned to official state use after the fall of the Assad government in December 2024.
What does the Syrian flag look like?
The current national flag uses three equal horizontal bands of green, white and black. Three red five-pointed stars are evenly placed across the central white band.
What do the colors and stars mean?
Official Syrian explanations connect green with the Rashidun tradition, white with the Umayyads and black with the Abbasids. The three red stars belong to the historic independence-era design and are associated with major Syrian regions of the mandate period.
Explore the current flag symbolism →
When did Syria change its flag?
The green-white-black three-star flag returned to official use after Bashar al-Assad’s government fell in December 2024. It has since been flown by Syrian state institutions, official buildings and diplomatic missions.
What flag did Syria use before 2024?
From 1980 until the fall of the Assad government, Syria used a red-white-black flag with two green stars. That design originated with the United Arab Republic formed by Syria and Egypt in 1958.
Is the current flag new?
No. It revives the independence flag associated with the Syrian republic before the Baathist era. A closely related design was used from the 1930s and returned briefly after Syria left the United Arab Republic in 1961.
Read the full Syria flag history →
Syria flag facts
| Colors | Green, white, black, red |
|---|---|
| Stars | Three red five-pointed stars |
| Current state use | Since December 2024 |
| Historic identity | Independence-era flag tradition |
Syria flag FAQ
How many stars are on Syria’s current flag?
Three red stars.
Why do older images show two green stars?
That was the Assad-era flag, originally derived from the United Arab Republic flag.
Is the green-white-black flag official in 2026?
Yes. It is in official state use.
How can you distinguish Syria’s current and former flags?
The easiest clue is the top stripe and the stars. The current flag has green on top and three red stars. The Assad-era flag had red on top and two green stars. This makes historical photographs relatively easy to date once the two designs are known.
Why are Syria’s flag changes politically important?
Each major design is tied to a distinct political era: independence, union with Egypt, Baathist rule or the post-2024 transition. For Syria, flag history is therefore also a compact visual history of changing state identity.
What should older references be called?
When describing pre-December-2024 material, it is clearer to use terms such as “former Syrian flag” or “Assad-era flag” for the red-white-black two-star design rather than presenting it as Syria’s current flag.
