Flag of Bahrain

Meaning and history of the flag of Bahrain

The flag of Bahrain has a red field with a white vertical band on the hoist side, separated from the red by a serrated line of five white triangles. White represents peace, while red is the traditional color of the Persian Gulf states, historically associated with the Kharijites, a branch of Islam once prevalent in the region.

The five triangles of the serrated line stand for the five pillars of Islam: the profession of faith (shahada), prayer (salat), almsgiving (zakat), fasting during Ramadan (sawm), and the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj). The flag previously carried more triangles, originally twenty-eight and later eight, before the number was reduced to five in 2002, when Bahrain changed from an emirate to a kingdom.

Bahrain's flag closely resembles that of Qatar, which likewise divides white and red with a serrated border, though Qatar's flag is more elongated, uses a darker maroon rather than red, and has nine points instead of five. The resemblance stems from the shared history of the two Gulf states. Bahrain's flag was originally solid red, and the white band was added in the nineteenth century at British request to distinguish it from pirate flags.

You can view the flag of Bahrain in high resolution above and download it in several sizes for personal, educational or reference use. To explore more, visit the full Bahrain profile, its map, or the current local time in Manama.