Flag of Kurdistan

The Flag of Kurdistan Kurdish: Alay Kurdistan or Alaya Kurdistanê,^[1] also called Alay Rengîn ("the colorful flag") first appeared during the Kurdish independence movement from the Ottoman Empire. It is said to have been created in the 1900s by the organisation of Xoybûn (Khoyboon).^[2] An earlier version of this flag was flown by the break-away Republic of Ararat in Turkey during the period 1927-1931. It was later the flag of the Soviet-backed Kurdish state known as the Republic of Mahabad in 1946. It is flown by the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraqi Kurdistan. The flag is banned in Turkey, Syria Iran.^[2]^[3]

The main Kurdish characteristic of the flag is the blazing golden sun emblem at the center, which is an ancient religious and cultural symbol among the Kurds. The sun disk of the emblem has 21 rays, equal in size and shape. The number 21 holds importance in the ancient Yazdani religious traditions of the Kurds.^[4]

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which has used this tricolor flag for more than a century, explains the symbolism of the colors as following:

Red symbolizes the blood of Kurdish martyrs and the continued struggle for Kurdish freedom and dignity.
Green expresses the beauty and the landscapes of Kurdistan.
White expresses peace and equality.
Yellow represents the source of life and light of the people.^[5]