![[Great Arab Revolt / Hejaz Flag (Jordan)]](../images/j/jo_hejaz.gif)
image by Santiago Dotor
Last modified: 2023-02-11 by ian macdonald
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image by Santiago Dotor
In the attached picture appears a photo taken from Eilat to the direction of the neighbouring city of Aqaba (Jordan). The news report that a 136m pole and 80m x 44m flag (making it probably the longest hoist and largest flag in the middle east) were put in the shores of the city close to the summer palace of the king of Jordan (of the Hashem family).
The interesting point about this flag is that it is not the Jordanian flag. Neither it is the usual royal standard. The order of the horizontal strips is black-green-white (rather than the black-white-green in the known national flag and royal standard). Moreover, in place of the 7-point star appears the crown of the Hashemite dynasty.
The apparent explanation for this is the location. The order of the stripes in the flag is the same order as appeared in the flag of the kingdom of Hejaz, the eastern coast of the gulf of Aqaba, which was ruled by the Hashemite family. Most of Hejaz today belong to Saudi Arabia after the founder of the state, ibn-Saudi, conquered it from the Hashemite family in 1924, ending their rule over it. The Small strip of land left for Jordan between the border with Israel and the port of Aqaba is all that has been left to the Hashemite family from Hejaz.
Yaron Ramati, 27 Oct 2004
Not true. This piece of land was part on Emirate of Transjordan formed by the British and given to Amir Abdallah and it is not "leftover" of
Hejaz.
Dov Gutterman, 27 Oct 2004
It seems the hoisting of this huge flag in this particular place is a sort of a symbolic gesture that the Hashemite claim to Hejaz remains in force.
Yaron Ramati, 27 Oct 2004
I think that this observation has nothing to do with the truth. I don't think that the Jordanians want to upset the Saudis. I would guess that it is used when a royal personality is staying in this palace, apart of the king (and then the royal standard is hoisted)
Dov Gutterman, 27 Oct 2004
I don't have an explanation for why the flag is flying, but this explanation doesn't seem to ring true. In the first place, Jordan has been trying under King Abdullah to mend fences with the Arab neighbors (especially Saudi Arabia and Kuwait) that his father alienated by failing to oppose the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. It's hardly in his interest to imply, or allow others to imply, that the Hashemites maintain some kind of claim to vast areas of Saudi territory.
Secondly, referring to the Aqaba area as the only remnant of Hejaz left to the Hashemites is a little misleading. Aqaba was never considered part of
Hejaz until Auda abu Tayi and T. E. Lawrence defeated the Ottoman garrison there in 1917. It was briefly incorporated into the newly proclaimed Kingdom of
Hejaz at that point, but so briefly as to have (in my view, at least) little real connection to
Hejaz proper.
How about this explanation? The flag of Hejaz was identical with the flag of the Great Arab Revolt, which is celebrated as the founding event of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The capture of Aqaba is remembered as the great military achievement of the revolt. There is even a Great Arab Revolt Square in Aqaba, where a flag flies. King Abdullah took part in a flag-raising ceremony there on 3 October, as reported at the Foreign Ministry site. Perhaps the flag that was raised is the flag in the photograph, and it is intended to commemorate the Revolt rather than to assert an irredentist claim.
Joseph McMillan, 27 Oct 2004
Very interesting indeed. More information here.
Santiago Dotor, 27 Oct 2004
I suggest to take this site with more then two grains a salt. How shall I say ...accuracy is not its best feature.
Dov Gutterman, 27 Oct 2004
