What is the red-and-white symbol on Tunisia’s national flag?

The red-and-white symbol on Tunisia’s national flag is a crescent and star. The white disk near the hoist contains a red crescent surrounding a five-pointed red star.

Tunisia’s flag consists of a red field with the white disk and its symbols offset toward the hoist. The crescent and star are widely associated with Islamic and Ottoman-era visual traditions, although their use on flags predates the modern Tunisian state in several regional contexts.

The flag was designed in the nineteenth century and officially adopted in 1831 under the Husainid dynasty. Tunisia became a French protectorate in 1881 but retained its distinctive flag. The red-and-white colour combination also connects the design to historical Mediterranean and Ottoman symbolism.