Afghanistan: National Flag of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan from 2004

The flag of Afghanistan was adopted by the transitional government of the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan in 2002-2004. This flag is similar to the one flown in Afghanistan during the monarchy between 1930 and 1973. The difference is the addition of the shahadah (Islamic Confession of Faith) at the top of the coat of arms (seen in gold/yellow) in the center. The new flag was adopted January 4, 2004. The flag consists of three stripes of the colours black, red, and green. This has been present on most flags of Afghanistan in the last twenty years. The center emblem is the classical emblem of Afghanistan with a mosque with its mihrab facing Mecca.