In Islam, the crescent moon holds both symbolic and religious meaning. There is no precise information about when this symbol first appeared. According to some sources, it originated as an ancient astronomical symbol at a time when many civilizations worshiped the Sun, the Moon, and the celestial goddess.
The crescent and star were symbols of the Carthaginian goddess Tanit and the Greek goddess Diana. Moreover, the crescent was also the emblem of the Byzantine city that is now Istanbul.
According to one account, the symbol was chosen in honor of the goddess Diana. Another version claims it dates back to 340 BCE, after a battle between the army of Macedonian King Philip II and the Byzantines.
The story goes that since the Macedonian army had no naval fleet to besiege the port city of Byzantium (later Constantinople), they decided to attack it by land at night. However, the night was bright with moonlight, and the Macedonian soldiers were easily seen, allowing the Byzantines to repel the attack. The Macedonians were forced to retreat.
The citizens of the city celebrated their victory and offered prayers to Hecate, the patron goddess of Byzantium. In her honor, coins were minted bearing the image of a crescent and a six-pointed star. Since the enemy had been repelled with the help of the moonlight, the “Star and Crescent” became the city’s emblem.
In 1453, the city was conquered by the Ottomans. The crescent, once a pagan and later a Christian symbol, became associated with Islam.
As mentioned above, the “Star and Crescent” was first a Byzantine, then a Constantinopolitan, and later a Turkish symbol after the Ottoman conquest. The Turks adopted it as a representation of their victory, and over time, it became a lasting symbol of Islam and the Muslim world. Today, the symbol appears on the flags, coins, emblems, mosques, and postage stamps of many Islamic countries.
AzEns.org.az/ Jalya Orujeva