Sandzak (Region, Yugoslavia [Serbia & Montenegro])

Last modified: 2002-10-19 by ivan sache
Keywords: sandzak | fleur-de-lys: 3 (yellow) | crescents: 3 (yellows) | stars: 3 (yellow) |
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• Presentation of Sandzak
• Flag of Sandzak
• Coat of arms of Sandzak

See also:

• Yugoslavia
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Serbia
• Montenegro
• Ottoman Empire

Presentation of Sandzak

The region of Sandzak is a wide area on borders between Montenegro and Serbia, south eastern of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the region that has remained in Ottoman Empire for the longest time, and it is heavily Muslim populated.

The name of Sandjak means ... flag.
Looking into a Dictionary of foreign words used in Croatian ( Bratoljub Klaic Rijecnik stranih rijeci, NZMH, 1978, Zagreb), I found this definition for sanjak (my translation):

sandzak [with a hachek over z], Turkish,

1. flag
2. region, administrative unit during Turkish rule and its head (also sandzak-beg)
3. military unit

Zeljko Heimer, 14 November 1995

The region was formerly named Sanjak of Novi Pazar. It is interesting that the name has been shortened to just Sandzak these days.

Josh Fruhlinger, 15 Novemeber 1995

Flag of Sandzak

The coat of arms is used by Sandzak separatists, and I have seen it on some unofficial stamps from the region.
However, I have still not seen the emblem used on a flag. It is certainly not used in Sandzak itself, still under Yugoslav administration. So the emblem is used by Sandzaklias abroad, mostly in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Germany. I assume that it is used on white field in analogy with former Bosnian flag, but this is not confirmed

Zeljko Heimer, 21 June 1999

Coat of arms of Sandzak

by Zeljko Heimer & Jorge Candeias

The arms are similar to the Bosnia and Herzegovina fleur-de-lys former arms, and was derived from it. The difference is the upper triangle, which is replaced with a field of another colour (blue, black, green were reported) and fleurs-de-lys in it replaced with crescents (also reported with and without the stars). Several different crescent arrangements were reported, too.
The image above is the lattest redention of the Sandzak coat of arms I have received from Velid-aga Jerlagic from Sarajevo. He claimed that this is the right design used by Sandzaklias (inhabitants of Sandzak) and that the other designs reported are erroneus.

Zeljko Heimer, 17 January 1998