Coat of arms of Algeria
The main emblem of Algeria has gone through several periods of its history. The first Algerian coat of arms appeared in the era of French rule over the country. The first coat of arms of independent Algeria was very close in symbols and colors to the modern flag of the country. But the emblem of 1971-1976 was closer to the modern one. It already had the hand of Fatima and a red crescent moon with a star. The coat of arms of Algeria in its modern form is a tribute to the dominant religion in the country, as well as to the main wealth of the country.
Star and crescent
The modern main emblem of Algeria is circular. One of its most important elements is the image of the red crescent and star, which are placed at the bottom of the emblem. In this case, the image of the crescent is drawn with slightly larger than usual «horns». This symbol can also be found on the national flag and today it is associated with the traditional symbols of Islam. Although this symbol did not exist in the early Muslim communities, it was not used by the Muslim leaders of the later period. For the first time, it was used in the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century. Algeria became a fragment of a once mighty empire and adopted the tradition of using the star and crescent on the national flag and coat of arms. The red color of these symbols represents the freedom of the Algerian people; in addition, a crescent moon with longer unusual endings is considered a symbol of good luck.
Hand of Fatima
Another important traditional symbol is the hand of Fatima, which began to be depicted on the emblem of 1971. Only, there she was at the top of the coat of arms. The new emblem depicts her against the backdrop of the Atlas Mountains, the main mountain range of Algeria, where the largest number of Algerians also live..
Fatima's hand is depicted as an open palm. It is associated with the five pillars of the Islamic religion and is often called hamsa - «five». This palm is associated with monotheism; prayer; fasting; hajj; alms.
A legend tells about the palm of Fatima. It is known that Fatima was the wife of Ali, a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad. One day, she was greatly amazed that her husband entered the house in the company of a young mistress. She was preparing dinner at this time. Having experienced the strongest attack of jealousy and despair, she dipped her hand into a boiling pot, without experiencing any pain..
Other elements of the coat of arms
Another important element of the Algerian emblem is the inscription in Arabic along the edge of the circle of the coat of arms. This is the name of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria. Against the backdrop of the mountains, you can see an industrial building; wheat ears; olive branches. The yellow Sun rises above the image of the mountains. It symbolizes a renewed life, a new era in the history of the country..
