EDIT This ideogram is a general symbol for the Islamic faith. It is the well-known ideogram found on most of the Islamic countries national flags. It combines the pictorial sign for the waning moon and the sign for the planet Venus as the Morning star.

The crescent moon was the symbol of Constantinople (now Istanbul), the capital city of the Eastern Roman Empire, Byzantium. When the Turks, led by Muhammed II, conquered Constantinople in 1453, they also adopted the symbol, but changed its position so that it was clearly a picture of the waning moon (for people living on the northern hemisphere).

According to some sources, however, the Turks already used the crescent as their symbol at this time. Now it became the symbol for the Ottoman-Turkish Empire. As such it was used until around the end of the eighteenth century. At the beginning of the nineteenth century a star was added to it.

From the beginning of the twentieth century this combined crescent and five-pointed star symbol began to appear on other Islamic countries flags.

The five points of the Venus star are in this context said to represent the five pillars of Islam:
1. Al-Shahadah the profession of faith
2. As-Salah the prayer
3. Az-Zakah a contribution to help the poor
4. As-Siam fasting in the month of Ramadan
5. Al-Hadj the pilgrimage to the holy city, Mecca

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