Damascus, SANA- Syria launched its New Visual Identity Thursday, featuring the Syrian golden eagle as a new emblem for the country.
The Symbol of the Syrian Golden Eagle: Past and Present
In Islamic history, the eagle was a prominent symbol in the conquest of the Levant by Khalid ibn al-Walid, in the Battle of “Thaniyat al-Uqab”. In modern Syrian history, the “Syrian golden eagle” was an extension of what the founding fathers had envisioned in 1945, embodied by Syrian designer and visual artist Khaled al-Asali, as the emblem of the Syrian Arab Republic.
Between the Old and New Eagles… What Has Changed?
The 2011 revolution represented the first genuine collective engagement of the Syrian people in politics in five decades that broke the Shackles injustice after millions of martyrs, displaced persons, detainees, and wounded. It was necessary to redefine the relationship between the state and the people in a new way, expressed by President Ahmad al-Sharaa in his words: “A government emanating from the people and serving them.”
The symbolism of the liberation of the three stars
The new design ended the forced fusion between the state and the people and reshaped their relationship in line with present circumstances and future aspirations. The three stars, which symbolize the flag in form and the people in substance, were liberated and took a position above the eagle, which symbolizes the state, after liberating it from its combative character, “the shield.”
These people, whose ambitions embrace the stars of the sky, is guarded by a state that defends them and provides them with everything they need to advance their historical role after decades of neglect. The people in return with their expected survival, they ensure the radiance and renaissance of this state, protecting it against any imminent danger, as the stars crown and surround the eagle’s head.
Unity of the Land and Unity of Syrian Identity
The eagle’s tail drapes five feathers, each representing one of the major Syria’s geographic regions: the north, east, west, south, and central. It is the banner of Syrian unity in its most magnificent form.
As for the eagle’s wings, they are neither offensive nor defensive, but rather balanced:
- Each wing consists of seven feathers, for a total of fourteen feathers representing all of Syria’s governorates combined.
- This symbolic, symmetrical arrangement emphasizes the importance of each Syrian governorate and its role in the stability of the state.
- Therefore, the new Syrian emblem has become a visual political covenant, linking the unity of the land with the unity of decision-making.
Syria: From the Security State to the state that guards
The new state’s concerns focus on education, health, providing infrastructure, and the necessary legislation for an economic renaissance based on the energies of the Syrian people. This consolidates the concept of a “state that guards” one that protects the people and provides them with the conditions for renaissance and prosperity, in contrast to the “security state,” of oppression, corruption, and crime under the former regime.
The Five Messages Conveyed by the New Emblem
- Historical Continuity: The Eagle is not a break, but rather an extension of the 1945 design, affirming the authenticity of Syrian identity over time.
- Representation of the New State: The Eagle is the new Syria, a modern state emerging from the will of its people.
- Liberation and Empowerment of the People: The liberation of the stars is the liberation of the people.
- Territorial Integrity of Syria: The five-feathered tail of the Eagle symbolizes the geographical regions, with no distinction between them or exclusion, but rather integration.
- A New National Pact that Defines the Relationship Between the State and the People
This work was accomplished through authentic Syrian efforts, connecting history, art, and the cultural and civilizational heritage that has shaped the identity and character of the Syrian people for decades.
The visual identity was developed to align with the aspirations and supreme values of Syrians, which were the foundation of the blessed Syrian revolution and which Syrians have preserved to this day.
Abdul/
