Serbian Empire (XIVth century)

Last modified: 2001-11-03 by ivan sache
Keywords: serbia | eagle: double-headed (red) |
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by Ivan Sarajcic

• Description of the flag

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• Serbia
• Macedonia

Description of the flag

One of the oldest historical source for flags is constituted by maps.
In the monography of the Historical Institute in Belgrade Monumenta Cartographica Jugoslaviae II, (Narodna Knjiga, Belgrade, 1979), Gordana Tomovic compares different XIVth century naval maps of Balkan peninsula. She notices flags above some place names on a map preserved in Bibliothèque Nationale (National Library) in Paris (Département des Cartes et Plans), made on pergament by Angelino Dulcert (1339):

"....above Skopje (Skopi) - red two-headed eagle on yellow field. The topographic name Serbia (Seruja) is placed near the hoist. Flag along with the vignette of city, back then, was characteristic for labeling state capitals. This flag remains the first drawn represention of a Serbian state flag.... ..."

Caption says: Picture 12 - Flag above town of Skopje (Scopi) - in today's Macedonia, in XIVth century, capital of Serbian Empire.

Ivan Sarajcic , 2 May 2000