Emblem of Syria Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Emblem of Syria

Armiger	Syria
Adopted	3 July 2025

The national emblem of Syria is like a special symbol for the country. It shows a golden eagle looking to the left. Above the eagle's head, there are three five-pointed stars in a curve. This eagle has 14 feathers, and each feather stands for one of Syria's 14 main regions, called governorates. This design was chosen on July 3, 2025.

Before this, Syria used different national symbols. These often featured a bird, like the Hawk of Quraish, holding a shield. The official Arabic name of the country was usually written on a scroll below the bird.

The Story of Syria's Emblem
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The Story of Syria's Emblem

Early Syrian Republic Emblem

The first emblem for the Syrian Republic was created in 1945. It had a shield in the middle with three stars, just like the stars on the Syrian flag. An eagle, important in Arab history, held this shield. This eagle was a symbol used long ago by a group called Quraysh and by a famous leader named Khalid ibn al-Walid.

Around the shield were three lines. At the bottom, two stalks of wheat showed that farming was very important to the country. The eagle held a ribbon with the words "The Syrian Republic" written in an old Arabic style called Kufic script. A talented artist and diplomat named Khaled Al-Asali designed this emblem. His father, Shukri al-Asali, was also a well-known Syrian leader.

The Emblem During the United Arab Republic

From 1958 to 1961, Syria joined with Egypt to form a larger country called the United Arab Republic (UAR). During this time, they used a new national symbol: the Eagle of Saladin. This eagle was inspired by a famous leader named Saladin.

The emblem showed an ornamental eagle standing on a base with "United Arab Republic" written on it. The eagle also had a shield on its chest that looked like the national flag of the UAR. Even after Syria left the union in 1961, Egypt kept using this eagle symbol for a while. Syria went back to its older emblem, but made a small change to the colors of the stars and border in 1963.

Some people thought the bird linked to Saladin might actually be a falcon, not an eagle. This caused some discussion, but the symbol was still used.

Syria Returns to Its Own Symbol

When Syria left the United Arab Republic in September 1961, it decided to use its own national symbols again. This meant bringing back the Hawk of Quraish as its emblem. This hawk was a symbol Syria used before joining the UAR. A new rule was made that said Syria would use its old flag and its old emblem once more.

Changes to the Emblem (1969-2024)

In 1969, Syria's national emblem was changed again. The new design still had an Arab shield with three green stars in the middle. A hawk, known as al-‘Uqab, held the shield, and there were three lines around it. Two wheat stalks were added at the bottom of the shield. The hawk held a scroll with "Syrian Arab Republic" written on it in Kufic script.

The hawk was colored like metal, with silver and gold lines on its wings. The shield had three green stars on a silver background, surrounded by red, white, and black lines. The wheat stalks were golden. This hawk symbol was also used by the Federation of Arab Republics, a group that included Syria, Egypt, and Libya from 1972 to 1977.

The Hawk and the Eagle

The hawk is a symbol of pride, courage, and leadership. It lives in mountains and was chosen because it hunts only live prey and does not eat dead animals. Falcons are also important in Arab culture, but they were not chosen because they can be very aggressive. The hawk was picked to show bravery without being hostile.

To tell the Hawk of Quraish apart from the eagle used in Egypt, Syria showed its hawk with its wings spread open. The Egyptian eagle was shown with folded wings. Scientists who study birds also note that eagles do not have feathers on their necks, but hawks do.

After the Federation of Arab Republics ended, Syria continued to use the Hawk of Quraish. Egypt went back to using the Eagle of Saladin in 1984. The Hawk of Quraish emblem was officially adopted by Syria in 1980. This emblem showed the Hawk of Quraish holding a shield with the Syrian flag on it, and a scroll with "Syrian Arab Republic" written below.

New Emblems Since 2011

During the time of changes in Syria, starting in 2011, different groups used various symbols. After a new government took over in December 2024, a temporary emblem was used. This emblem featured the Hawk of Quraish facing right, and a shield based on Syria's flag from 1946. However, this emblem was not made official.

A brand new emblem was adopted on July 3, 2025. This emblem shows an eagle, inspired by old designs found in a place called Palmyra. Above the eagle are three stars, taken from the Syrian flag. This eagle has 14 feathers, each representing one of Syria's 14 governorates.