Azərbaycanın dövlət rəmzlərinə və atributlarına dair məqalələr

Azərbaycan Respublikası Prezidentinin İşlər İdarəsininPREZİDENT KİTABXANASI──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────State Flag Dayby Mais AmrahovAncient originsThe word bayrag (flag) is Turkic in origin. It is mentioned in the 11th century dictionary Divani-lugatit-turk(dictionary of the Turkish language) of Mahmud Kashkarli, both in the modern meaning and in literalmeanings of the word bayrak – batrak. The word bayrag has the same meaning in most ancient and modernTurkic languages. Batrak, bayrak originated from the verb ‘to stick in’, to thrust (batir – batirmaq, sanjmag).Alongside bayrag other words were also used to mean flag: tugra, bunjug, sanjag - which also arose from theverb meaning to thrust (sanjmag).Archaeological finds in Azerbaijan confirm that flags to be used as standards were present even in theBronze Age (4th – 2nd Millennium B.C.). Circular bronze boards and bronze standards in other shapes,decorated with various geometrical figures, such as a horned deer, an eight-pointed star and a radiant sun, werefound during archaeological excavations carried out in Shaki and Shamkir; they were probably the symbols ofthe head of a tribe or ruling authority. Most of the standards found carried images of horned animals. These arealso encountered in Assyrian reliefs of the 8-7 centuries B.C., depicting fortresses in Manna. Standards in theseshapes probably served as talismans. In today’s Azerbaijan, the horns of goats and rams, animal skulls (dogs,horses, deer) are still fastened above gates and doors and used as symbols or talismans to protect against ‘theevil eye’ and malevolent deeds.The Azerbaijani flag has an ancient history. The Albanian historian, Musa Kalankatli in his work,History of Albaniya devoted a section to the images of flags. The bodies of these flags were shaped as dragonsor birds and were made from silk. Their shafts were made from silver and depicted the heads of mythicalanimals. Similar flags were widespread in Europe and other Eastern countries in the Middle Age.Flags had a military significance. They were particularly protected during battles, their fall or capture bythe enemy meant defeat. In the Book of Dede Gorgud Salur Gazan, who succeeded to taking vengeance for anattack by enemies, “cut the sanjag (the flag) of the kaffir with his tugh (sword) and threw it to the ground”. Theimages of a lion and a human face in the shape of the Sun (Shiri-Khurshid) on the background of the flag of theSafavids’ state, which was especially prominent in the history of Azerbaijani statehood, shows that the state wasbased on national traditions and ancient history.The Azerbaijani khanates also had special flags. These flags were removed from Azerbaijan during theRussian occupation by various routes in the early 19th century and were later passed to the Caucasian MilitaryMuseum in Tbilisi.Flags come homeIn April 1919, during the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the question of returning flags whichreflected the history of Azerbaijani statehood to their homeland was raised. Minister of Defence General Samadbey Mehmandarov, instructed Lieutenant Colonel Mammadbey Aliyev the Azerbaijan attaché in Georgia, toobtain the Georgian government’s consent to return to Baku the Azerbaijani flags and other symbols of statethat were held in the Tbilisi Museum. This question was raised again at the First All-Azerbaijani Congress ofLocal History (September 1924) after the establishment of the Azerbaijan State Museum in June 1920. In thesame year, the State Museum of History succeeded in obtaining the flags of the khanates, of Azerbaijanigenerals who had served in the tsarist army and of certain Muslim regiments.150