Moroccan Flag

The Moroccan flag is red and has a green star with 5 branches.

This is the flag that was adopted in 1915 at the request of General Lyautet.

Officially, it's one of the Alawite dynasty, in power since the seventeenth century. The previous dynasties, and Merinids Saadians, used a white flag.

In fact the Alawite dynasty had a green flag, very dark, almost black, like the one that was used during the funeral of Hassan II.

But the red flag with a star was also used during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Here is the Moroccan flag:

The green star which adorns its center was formerly 6 branches (sometimes 8), is the emblem of the seal of Solomon (or Sulayman).

Not that we really know why, General Lyautet asked in 1915 the Sultan of the time to transform the star in the Moroccan flag into a star with 5 branches. This star was retained after independence.

In the part of Morocco occupied by Spain, it had held until 1956, a flag with a 6-pointed star.

We find that star of arms of Morocco, between two lions.

Morocco's motto: "God, Fatherland, King"

The Anthem

The music from the Moroccan anthem was composed at the request of General Lyautet by a French captain, Leo Morgan, head of music Shereefian custody. As for words, it has been written much later, in 1969.

"As for the lyrics (" manbita al Ahrar ... "), they are finally written in 1969, under circumstances the least original. The Moroccan national football team had to qualify for their first finals World Cup, held a year later in Mexico.

Then Hassan II decided to attach a text to the national anthem, just to allow the band Driss Bamous, captain of the time, having something to hum during the presentation of traditional hymns, duly broadcast on television throughout the world.

A poetry competition was then held at the Palace, to select the most expressive texts. Several poets participated and it is ultimately the poem "Manbita al alhrar" Moulay Ali Skalli, who will be selected by Hassan II himself. The latter even went so far as to make slight alterations.

Ironically, June 3, 1970, when the Moroccan national anthem rang out in a Mexican stage, Faras, Houmane and their teammates had not even had time to learn properly the anthem.

It is full of convoluted formulas and expressions, not easy to learn. Suddenly, the world has actually admired eleven Moroccans in shorts, trying somehow to move their lips, as well as singing the wrong national anthem ... "(excerpt from an article Lamal Boudouma, September 14, 2007)

The Moroccan anthem is "Manbita Al ahrar".

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