Mahra Sultanate of Qishn and Socotra (Protectorate of South Arabia, Yemen) (original) (raw)


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Mahra State

Last modified: 2021-08-25 by ian macdonald
Keywords: [protectorate of south arabia](keywordp.html#protectorate of south arabia) | mahra | qishn | socotra | [banu afrar](keywordb.html#banu afrar) | [crescent (black)](keywordc.html#crescent %28black%29) | [star (black)](keywords.html#star %28black%29) |
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[[Mahri state]](../images/y/ye%5Fmahr.gif)
image by Ivan Sache

Description of the flag

The flag shown on the postage stamps issued by the State is 1:2, horizontally divided green-white-red with a black crescent and star in the white stripe, slightly shifted to the hoist.
Ivan Sache, after a scan of a stamp by Mike Oettle, 5 January 2002

According to Carr's Flags of the World([car61]), "The flag of the Mahri Sultanate ... does duty as the Sultan's Standard."
Santiago Dotor, 8 May 2003

Socotra in the Book of All Kingdoms, Late 14th Century

[[Socotra island]](../images/y/ye-sq14f.gif)
image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 08 December 2007

The 83rd flag mentioned and illustrated in the Book of All Kingdoms [f0fXX] is attributed to "Sicroca", i.e. Socotra.
This as depicted in the 2005 spanish illustrated transcription [f0f05], a red flag yellow arabic letters, in the ogival default shape of this source. The exact shape of the letters, as depicted in [f0f05], seems to be bogus, or at least severely misshapen. (This flag differs in detail from both #82 and #23, though they all are red with yellow Arabic letters.)
The anonymous author of [f0fXX] describes the flag thusly: �un pendón bermejo con letras arábigas.� (=�a red flag with Arabic letters.�, as translated in [f0f12].) According to the 1912 illustrated transcription in English [f0f12] of Hakluyt Society (#73 on plate 16 between p.40-41), the manuscript "S" [f0fXXs] shows this flag just like [f0f05].
António Martins-Tuválkin, 08 December 2007

Flag of the Banu Afrar dynasty

[[Banu Afrar dynasty]](../images/y/ye%5Fma-a.gif)
image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 09 December 2007

Ratio 2:3
Adopted: ?
Abolished: 1967

The Banu Afrar of Mahra (Quisn) and Socotra, used red flag with the name in white (Afrar government)
Source: The Flag Bulletin [tfb] (communicated by Harald Müller)
Jaume Ollé, 9 February 1997

This Wikipedia page is a nice "External links" addition. It includes the Arabic word "ʕfrar" "عفرار", which is shown in the pre-1967 flag <ye_mahr.html#bana>. The other word is said to mean "government", in Arabic "حكومة" "ħkumẗ", which does look like the first word on the flag.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 09 December 2007</ye_mahr.html#bana>

Earlier (undated) flag of Socotra Island

[[Socotra island]](../images/y/ye%5Fma-s.gif)
image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 09 December 2007

[[Socotra island]](../images/y/ye%5Fma!s.gif)
image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 09 December 2007

Ratio 2:3
Adopted: 1886 ?
Abolished: ?

The text on the flag says Socotra.
Dov Gutterman, 20 May 2001

Wikipedia names the island in Arabic "سقطرى" ("Sqŧry"), which is the word that shows in white on red in a pre-1968 flag of Socotra.
António Martins-Tuválkin, 09 December 2007