Red Cross and Red Crescent

The city of Byzantium (later known as Constantinople and Istanbul) adopted the crescent moon symbol. According to some reports, they chose it in honor of the goddess Diana. Others indicate that it dates back to a battle in which the Romans defeated the Goths on the first day of a lunar month. In any event, the crescent moon was featured on the city's flag even before the birth of Christ.

It wasn't until the Ottoman Empire that the crescent moon and star became affiliated with the Muslim world. When the Turks conquered Constantinople (Istanbul) in 1453, they adopted the city's existing flag and symbol. Legend holds that the founder of the Ottoman Empire, Osman, had a dream in which the crescent moon stretched from one end of the earth to the other. Taking this as a good omen, he chose to keep the crescent and make it the symbol of his dynasty. There is speculation that the five points on the star represent the five pillars of Islam, but this is pure conjecture. The five points were not standard on the Ottoman flags, it is still not standard on flags used in the Muslim world today.

Mavi Boncuk |

When the organization known today as the Red Cross and Red Crescent was founded in the second half of the 19th century, it sought a universal and easily recognizable emblem to protect medical personnel from attack during conflicts.

During the International Conference which debated this and established the rules that have now become the Geneva Conventions, a red cross on a white background was adopted as a neutral emblem. This was not a religious symbol, it is simply the reversal of the colours of the Swiss flag. As such, it was felt it would embody the fundamental requirement of neutrality.

However, the problem of other connotations soon became evident. In the war between Russia and Turkey in 1876-1878 the Ottoman Empire, although it had acceded to the Geneva Conventions of 1864 without any reservation, declared that it would use the red crescent to mark its own ambulances while respecting the red cross sign protecting enemy ambulances. This use of the red crescent became the practice for the Ottoman Empire.

After lengthy discussions the diplomatic conference of 1929 agreed to recognize the red crescent emblem, which was by then used by Egypt as well as the newly-created Turkish republic, and the red lion and sun emblem which was in use in Persia. The conference, in order to forestall further requests in the future, made a point of stating that no new emblems would be recognized.

Since that time, the red crescent emblem has become widely used by many countries. Iran discontinued using the red lion and sun emblem in 1980 and now uses instead the red crescent. The Islamic Republic of Iran nevertheless indicated their wish to preserve their right to eventually use the red lion and sun. Proposals by other countries for alternative emblems have not been agreed.

Red Cross [Ratio 2:3]

The ICRC owes its creation to the Swiss, Henry Dunant. In 1863 an International Conference met in Geneva to try and improve the medical care of soldiers in war. It adopted the red cross on a white field as the emblem of societies working for the relief of wounded soldiers. These were to become the Red Cross and Red Crescent societies. The 1864 Geneva Convention, the first, officially recognized the emblems.


Red Crescent [Ratio 2:3]

In 1876, during the Russo-Turkish war, the Ottoman Empire decided to use a red crescent on white instead of the red cross. Egypt also decided to use the crescent and Persia later decided to use a red lion and sun on white. These new emblems were incorporated into the 1929 Conventions.