State Symbols
Extract from the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan:
ARTICLE 23. Symbols of the State of Azerbaijan
I. The state symbols of the Republic of Azerbaijan are the State Flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the State Emblem of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the State Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
II. The State Flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan consists of three equally wide horizontal stripes. The upper stripe is blue, the middle stripe is red, and the lower stripe is green. In the centre of the red stripe, a white crescent and an eight-pointed star are depicted on both sides of the flag. The ratio of the flag’s width to its length is 1:2.
III. The design of the State Flag and the State Emblem of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as the music and lyrics of the State Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan, shall be determined by a Constitutional Law.
State Flag
The State Flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan
The State Flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan is a symbol of the sovereignty of the Azerbaijani state.
The tricolour State Flag of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was first adopted on 9 November 1918 at a government meeting in Baku and was raised over the building of the Council of Ministers of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, where the meeting was held (the present-day building of the “Azneft” Production Association of the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan). The flag, which held state status until 27 April 1920, when the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic fell, was lowered from the building of the Parliament of Azerbaijan on 3 May 1920 as a result of the occupation of Azerbaijan by Soviet Russian troops.
On 17 November 1990, at a session held on the initiative and under the leadership of Heydar Aliyev, Chairman of the Supreme Assembly of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and National Leader of our people, this flag, a legacy of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, was approved as the state flag of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. At the same time, the Supreme Assembly of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic submitted a petition to the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR requesting that this flag be recognised as the official state symbol of Azerbaijan. On 5 February 1991, the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Azerbaijan considered the petition and adopted a decision to reinstate this flag as the State Flag of Azerbaijan. Later, the National Leader stated the following in this regard: “I believe that the decisions adopted by the Supreme Assembly of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic had a significant impact on the affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the Azerbaijani leadership was compelled to adopt several such decisions. This flag began to fly over the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic on 17 November 1990 and in the Republic of Azerbaijan on 5 February 1991.”
Pursuant to an Order signed by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, on 17 November 2009, 9 November is celebrated in the country every year as State Flag Day.
At the solemn opening ceremony of the State Flag Square in Baku on 1 September 2010, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, emphasised the special significance of the State Flag, stating: “Our flag is a source of pride. Our flag is our life, our heart. Today, the State Flag flies in every part of Azerbaijan. After Azerbaijan restores its territorial integrity, our national State Flag will be raised in the lands that are still under occupation. Our flag will fly in Nagorno-Karabakh, in Khankendi, in Shusha. We must and are bringing that day closer through our work every day. Long live the These words of the head of our state were given practical confirmation by our historic Victory, which is an eternal source of pride for our people. On September 27, 2020, in response to another military aggression by Armenia against our country, the Azerbaijani Army, under the leadership of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Victorious Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev, achieved a magnificent Victory through successful military operations in just 44 days. Our internationally recognized territories were liberated from nearly 30 years of Armenian occupation.
Through the successful military operations of our soldiers and officers, which have gone down in modern military history as an unparalleled example of combat professionalism, our lands were liberated from nearly 30 years of Armenian occupation. As a continuation of our glorious Victory, the successful anti-terror operation conducted on September 19–20, 2023, which lasted only 23 hours, resulted in the full restoration of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our country. Thus, the legal force of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan was established throughout all our territories where the occupation had been eliminated. The proud waving of our tricolour flag in those territories and the revival of our native lands, which had been destroyed by the enemy during the occupation and are being restored and rebuilt through extensive reconstruction and development efforts, evoke a great sense of pride in each of us.
On October 15, while raising the State Flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the city of Khankendi, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said: “Today, the words I said at the time – during the occupation – and the words repeated by the people are the greatest reward for me. At that time, I said that I knew what needed to be done, how and when it needed to be done. When the Second Karabakh War came to an end, the Azerbaijani people also knew that I knew this. Less than three years have passed since that day, and today we are here, in Khankendi, in the center of Khankendi, under the Coat of Arms and the Flag of Azerbaijan. This is a great happiness and a historic event.”
The blue colour on the State Flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan represents the Turkic origin of the Azerbaijani people; the red colour expresses the desire to build a modern society and develop democracy; and the green colour represents belonging to Islamic civilization.
When the State Flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan is manufactured industrially, produced, or its coloured image is printed, its blue colour must correspond to Pantone 306C, its red colour to Pantone Red 032C, and its green colour to Pantone 362C in the Pantone colour catalogue..
State Emblem
The State Emblem of the Republic of Azerbaijan
The State Emblem of the Republic of Azerbaijan is a symbol of the independence of the Azerbaijani state.
The modern State Emblem is a modified version of the emblem design created during the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.
On 30 January 1920, the government of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic announced a competition for the State Emblem of Azerbaijan and adopted a resolution stipulating that the winning emblem design would be adopted on 28 May of the same year. However, following the fall of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic on 28 April 1920, it was not possible to adopt a decision on the State Emblem.
On 17 November 1990, the Supreme Assembly of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic discussed the issue of the State Emblem and submitted a petition to the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR requesting that a new competition be announced for the design of Azerbaijan’s State Emblem. The competition was announced by a decision of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Azerbaijan on 5 February 1991. On 19 January 1993, by Constitutional Law, one of the State Emblem designs developed in 1919–1920 was approved, with certain modifications, as the State Emblem of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The State Emblem of the Republic of Azerbaijan consists of a depiction of an Eastern shield placed over an arc formed by oak branches and ears of wheat. Above the shield is an eight-pointed star set against the colours of the State Flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan, with a depiction of a flame at its centre. In the coloured depiction of the State Emblem of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the star is white, the flame is red, the oak branches are green, and the ears of wheat are yellow. The rims of the shield and the star, as well as the rivets of the shield and the acorns of the oak branches, are gold.
State anthem
Music by: Useyir Hajibayli
Words by: Ahmad Javad
Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan!
You are the country of heroes!
We will die so that you might be alive!
We will shed our blood to defend you!
Long live your three-colored banner!
Thousands of people sacrificed their lives
You're become the field of battles.
Every soldier fighting for you,
Has become a hero.
We pray for your prosperity,
We make sacrifice our lives to you
Our sincere love to you,
Comes from the bottom of our hearts.
To defend your honor,
To hoist your banner,
All the young people are ready.
Glorious motherland,
Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan!
On 30 January 1920, the Council of Ministers of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic adopted a decision on the preparation of the national anthem of the Republic, and a competition was announced by the Ministry of Public Education for this purpose. However, the fall of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic on 28 April 1920 prevented the adoption of Azerbaijan’s national anthem.
On 27 May 1992, the Parliament adopted the Law “On the State Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan”. Pursuant to the Law, the “March of Azerbaijan”, composed in 1919 by the great composer Uzeyir Hajibeyli and the poet Ahmad Javad, was approved as the State Anthem of Azerbaijan.
The Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On the Rules for the Use of the State Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan” was approved on 19 February 2019. Pursuant to this Law, the State Anthem must be performed in the following cases:
- At the inauguration ceremony of the person elected President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (after the person takes the oath);
- When the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan attends sessions of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan;
- At the opening and closing of regular and extraordinary sessions of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan;
- At the opening and closing of regular and extraordinary sessions of the Supreme Assembly of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic;
- At the opening and closing of ceremonial gatherings and meetings dedicated to the holidays of the Republic of Azerbaijan;
- On important historical occasions for the Azerbaijani state and people;
- At the unveiling of monuments or memorial plaques dedicated to prominent Azerbaijani statesmen, political and public figures, and figures in science, literature and the arts, as well as to the Heroes of the Patriotic War of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the National Heroes of Azerbaijan;
- During ceremonies and other formal events organised by state bodies (institutions), local self-government bodies, political parties or non-governmental organisations (when the State Flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan is raised or hoisted);
- When heads of state and government of foreign countries arriving in the Republic of Azerbaijan on official visits are welcomed and seen off (after the State Anthem of the respective country has been performed).
The State Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan shall, in all cases, be performed in its entirety in accordance with its musical score, by an orchestra, choir or orchestra and choir, or through other vocal or instrumental means, including by using a sound recording.
When the State Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan is performed, citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan must listen to it standing at attention until its completion or sing along in accordance with its lyrics.
When the State Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan is performed, foreign nationals and stateless persons must listen to it standing at attention until its completion.
National Leader Heydar Aliyev said: “We must love our national anthem and our flag as much as we love ourselves. Because they are symbols of our loyalty, love and devotion to our Motherland, our nation and our state!”