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Jebel Druze 1921-1932 (Syria)

Jabal ad-Duruz, Autonomous Territory of Souaida 1921-1927, Autonomous State of the Jebel Druze 1927-

by M.V. Blanes
Flag adopted 1924, abolished 1936

Description
Civil Flag 1921-1936
State Flag 1921-1924
State Flag 1924-1936
Flag of the Majliss Enniabi or Council 1924-1936

See also:

Druze People (Syria)
Historical Flags until 1932 (Syria)

Description

The French organized Syria into five states under the Mandate. One of them was the State of Souaida (March 4th, 1922), later Jebel Druze State (1927) with the addition of Damascus' Hawran (Jabal ad-Duruz or Druze Mountains). Its flag was white [hoist strip] with a French flag in the canton, to right of canton equal horizontal stripes of green, red, yellow, blue and white (reading down). In June 1922 France established a loose federation between the four Syrian puppet states. In 1936 the Jebel Druze was incorporated to the Syrian Republic. Sources and Credits.

Editor's note: for an explanation of the colours see the Druze People page.

According to a drawing in Znamierowski 1999, the French tricolor equals the height of one of the horizontal stripes and the blue stripe should be a darker shade than the sky blue shown at the top.

M.V. Blanes, 18 February 2000

The following is an extract from Corre 2000 (Franciae Vexilla, #19/65, September 2000). I have tried to stick to the text as tightly as possible (no interpretation). Possible errors come either from the original text or loose translation from French:

4. Federation of Syria, under French mandate, 1920-1925.
(...) In March 1921 was created the autonomous territory of Soueida, for the Druze minority. The territory was later renamed Jebel Druze.
(...) The four states of the Federation each had a specific flag with the French Tricolore in canton (...). Jebel Druze: The colours of the flag had been established during the constitution of the government of Emir Selim-al-Attrach, as five horizontal green, red, yellow, blue and white.
A vertical white stripe along the hoist was charged with 13 stars [of unprecised colours] to represent the 13 French administrative divisions.
Captain Carbillet, governor of Jebel Druze, reorganized the divisions in 1924 and the flag was changed accordingly. The stars were replaced by a very small French Tricolore extending in height over the first horizontal stripe. This official flag was hoisted over the Governor's hall and the Serail.
The Druzes still used their five-striped flag, whereas the Majliss Enniabi (Council) added a tiny French Tricolore in canton, extending in height over less than the first horizontal stripe.

The addendum to Corre 2000 (Franciae Vexilla, #20/66, December 2000, p. 8) is based on letters kept in the archives of the SHOM [publishers of the French Navy's Album des Pavillons] in Brest:

A letter from Rear-Admiral Deville, commander of the Levant Naval Division in Beirut, dated 22 August 1930, stated that, (...) "The governments of Jebel Druze and Latakia (Alawites) do not have a specific ensign". Anyway, it seems from other letters that the specific status of Jebel Druze and Lattaquie was maintained until December 1936, and their flags might have been used along with the Syrian flag, but with a lower rank of precedence. In December 1936, both governments were incorporated into Syria and their flags were no longer used.

Ivan Sache, 3 February 2001

Civil Flag 1921-1936

by Jaume Ollé

State Flag 1921-1924

by Jaume Ollé
Flag adopted March 1921, abolished 1924

State Flag 1924-1936

by M.V. Blanes
Flag adopted 1924, abolished 1936

Flag of the Majliss Enniabi or Council 1924-1936

by Jaume Ollé