Rub el Hizb
{{more sources|date=March 2024}}
{{Short description|Islamic symbol in the shape of an octagram}}
{{Infobox symbol
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File:Konya Karatay Ceramics Museum Kubad Abad Palace find 2405.jpg (early 13th-century Anatolia)]]
The Rub el Hizb ({{langx|ar|رُبْعُ الْحِزْبِ or رُبُعُ الْحِزْبِ|rubʿ al-ḥizb|quarter of the party}}) is an Islamic symbol in the shape of an octagram{{Cite book |last=Blair |first=Sheila |title=Islamic Calligraphy |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-7486-3540-5 |pages=144}}, represented as two overlapping squares ۞. While its main utility today is to mark a division inside some copies of the Quran to facilitate recitation, it has originally featured on a number of emblems and flags in the past and continues to do so today.
In Arabic, {{transl|ar|rubʿ}} means 'one-fourth' or 'quarter', while {{transl|ar|ḥizb}} (plural {{transl|ar|aḥzāb}}) translates to 'a group'. The Quran is divided into 60 {{lang|ar|aḥzāb}} (groups of roughly equal length in turn grouped into 30 {{transl|ar|ajzāʾ}}), with instances of Rub el Hizb further dividing each {{transl|ar|ḥizb}} into four, for a total of 240 divisions.
The Seljuk star is an eight-pointed star polygon that is an ancient Turkish national symbol (Tamga). It is a common motif in Seljuk art.{{Cite book |last1=Dumas |first1=Hillary |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BHNngM0mLywC&pg=PR7 |title=Trefoil: Guls, Stars & Gardens : an Exhibition of Early Oriental Carpets, Mills College Art Gallery, January 28-March 11, 1990 |last2=Dumas |first2=D. G. |publisher=Hillary Dumas |year=1989 |isbn=978-0-9629236-0-9 |pages=vii |language=en}}
History
The symbol was used as a cultural symbol in the time of Al-Andalus in the Iberian Peninsula, appearing on the coins.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}} In addition, the use of it in so many areas{{which|date=March 2024}} led to its name being changed to "the star of Abd al-Rahman I". From Al-Andalus it was exported to the rest of the Arab world.{{Citation needed|date=January 2025}} It has also been used extensively in Turkic Islamic culture and history.{{Cite web |date=2019-02-01 |title=Eight-Pointed Star Meaning |url=https://www.dorisleslieblau.com/eight-pointed-star-meaning/ |access-date=2023-09-11 |website=Antique Rugs by Doris Leslie Blau |language=en-US}}{{Cite journal |last=Reki |first=Mahina |last2=Arslan Selçuk |first2=Semra |date=2018-05-22 |title=Evolution of Geometric Patterns in Islamic World and a Case on the Jalis of the Naulakha Pavilion in the Lahore Fort |url=https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/499821 |journal=Gazi University Journal of Science |series=Part B: Art, Humanities, Design and Planning |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=83–97 |via=}}
Variants
File:Rub_El_Hizb.svg|Interlaced
File:Rub_El_Hizb_Outline.svg|Outline
Contemporary use
= Architecture =
File:Petronas Towers level 43 plan.svg Tower 1 level 43 floor plan from a Rub el Hizb symbol.{{cite web|author=Galal Abada|date=2004|title=Petronas Office Towers|url=http://www.akdn.org/architecture/pdf/1969_Mal.pdf|url-status=unfit|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001183326/http://www.akdn.org/architecture/pdf/1969_Mal.pdf|archive-date=2012-10-01|location=Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia}}]]
The symbol has been used as a basis for plans of buildings, as in the case of the Petronas Towers.
= Former flags =
File:Flag of the Ottoman Empire (eight pointed star).svg|An Ottoman flag with an eight pointed star (after 1844)
File:Flag of the Emirate of Afghanistan.png|Flag of the Emirate of Afghanistan (1919–1926)
= Current flags =
File:Flag of Azerbaijan.svg|Flag of Azerbaijan
File:Kazakhstan Customs Service flag.svg|Flag of the Kazakhstan Customs Bureau
File:Flag of the Organization of Turkic States.svg|Flag of the Organization of Turkic States
File:Flag of the President of Turkmenistan.svg|Standard of the President of Turkmenistan
File:Flag of the President of Uzbekistan.svg|Standard of the President of Uzbekistan
= Emblems =
File:Emblem of Azerbaijan.svg|Emblem of Azerbaijan
File:Emblem of Karakalpakstan.svg|Emblem of Karakalpakstan
File:Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg|Emblem of Uzbekistan
File:Emblem of Turkmenistan.svg|Emblem of Turkmenistan
See also
References
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