When our contemporaries describe the spiritual confrontation between Christianity and Islam, they often speak of the struggle between the cross and the crescent. Few know that these religious symbols share a common history. At the dawn of our civilization, they represented the divine union of two opposing principles. Today, the image of the crescent with the star is firmly associated with the Muslim religion in society.
On the flags of many countries where the majority of the population adheres to Islam, the stylized image of the night luminary is prominently displayed. The depiction of the young moon has an occult meaning. Since ancient times, people have seen it as a symbol of rebirth and transformation of the world. Many myths are associated with the lunar cycle, during which the night luminary appears in the sky, reaches the state of a perfect circle, and then disappears again, only to return renewed.
The ancient Sumerians called the crescent the symbol of the god Sin. Doctor of Historical Sciences Valery Ivanovich Gulyaev, in his book “Шумер. Вавилон. Ассирия: 5000 лет истории (Sumer. Babylon. Assyria: 5000 Years of History),” provided a description of a stone stele dedicated to the ascension to the throne of King Ur-Nammu, who ruled around 2109-2098 BCE. Unknown craftsmen carved the image of the crescent and a star with 12 rays, symbolizing the sun, at the top of the stele.
The pagan deities of many peoples are divided into bearers of solar and lunar energy. One only needs to recall the Greek goddess Diana or her Carthaginian counterpart, Tanit. In the temples of Ancient Egypt, the crescent and the sun were often depicted together to emphasize the unity of Day and Night, the union of two opposites. The consciousness of people then was not divided; they did not believe that worshiping one divine principle meant rejecting another.
Thus, the first representative of the Third Dynasty, originating from the city of Ur, sought to declare the legitimacy of his power over Sumer and Akkad, which he had obtained through a difficult struggle. According to the aforementioned stone stele, both the Sun and the Moon greeted Ur-Nammu’s ascension to the throne. In other words, the initially many-rayed star located next to the crescent symbolized the daytime luminary.
This Image Can Be Seen on Temples, Coins, Royal Crowns, and Seals of Most Ancient Countries, Both in Asia and Europe
Just like the ancient Sumerians, the inhabitants of many states considered this symbol to represent royal authority, supported by higher powers. This sign came to be associated with divine blessing, as in the consciousness of pagans, nothing was higher than the personified Sun and Moon.
On the coins of King Chashtana—the first in the dynasty of rulers of the Indian principality of the Western Kshatrapas, which existed from 110 to 395 AD—a crescent moon can be seen. The Roman Empire, the Turkic Khaganate, and the Persian Kingdom also used this symbol in their official heraldry.
In Christian countries, the ancient symbol underwent significant changes. The cross replaced the sun, and the image of the young moon either disappeared or remained as a decorative element. For instance, at the bottom of Orthodox crosses placed on churches, a crescent moon can still be seen. This surprises many of our contemporaries since few have heard of the original meaning of this symbol, which was reinterpreted by Christians.
The crescent with the star only became associated with the Muslim religion in the public consciousness in recent centuries. This conclusion was reached by the renowned Soviet Orientalist Vasily Vladimirovich Bartold in his scholarly work “On the Question of the Crescent as a Symbol of Islam,” published in the sixth volume of his “Works.”
“Despite some facts indicating the early adoption of this symbol by Islam, the appearance of the crescent on the roofs and domes of mosques and its opposition to the cross of Christian churches are relatively late phenomena and did not receive widespread adoption,” wrote V.V. Bartold.
Since the young moon was the official symbol of the Sassanid dynasty, which ruled the Persian Empire from the 3rd to the 7th centuries, the appearance of this sign on pre-Islamic religious structures was a tribute to the rulers who financed the construction. Some vassals of the Sassanids used the symbol of their suzerains to denote personal loyalty and devotion to the rulers of the empire.
It is Known That the Ancient Greek Goddess of Moonlight, Hecate, Was Considered the Patroness of Constantinople
Therefore, the crescent moon rightfully occupied its place on the coat of arms of the Byzantine capital. After the conquest of this city by the Turks in 1453, the Ottoman dynasty began to use the symbol of Constantinople as their heraldic emblem, and the city was renamed Istanbul. V. V. Bartold also pointed this out.
“In any case, the crescent as a religious symbol, having the same significance for the mosque as the cross for Christian churches, was characteristic not of Islam in general, but specifically of Turkish-Ottoman Islam and, for example, was not found on Turkestan mosques until the Russian conquest,” wrote the Orientalist scholar.
We know that the first of the Turkestan campaigns of the Russian army began in 1847. That means that at least until the mid-19th century, the crescent with the star was not considered a symbol of the Muslim religion in Central Asia.
However, the dynastic emblem of the rulers of the Ottoman Empire gradually came to be contrasted with the Christian cross. This is not surprising, as wars “for the faith” often arose between countries whose inhabitants adhered to different religions. Religious confrontation continues to this day.
Many researchers propose various, often controversial, theories about the origin of the Muslim symbol. Some even claim the unity of the cross and the crescent, based on ancient pagan signs of Day and Night.
Gleb Vladimirovich Nosovsky and Anatoly Timofeevich Fomenko co-authored the book “Реконструкция подлинной истории. Как было на самом деле (Reconstruction of Genuine History. How It Really Was.)” In it, they put forward a rather ambiguous theory:
“The cross in the form of a star—such as an 8-pointed or 6-pointed star—is known in medieval iconography. Such depictions of cross-stars can be seen on the walls of the famous St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev. It turns out that the cross with the crescent on the domes of Russian churches and the Turkish crescent with the star symbolizing the cross are merely different types of the same Christian symbol!”
The authors argue that the followers of the two religions simply divided what was once a single sign between themselves: the cross went to one group, while the crescent with the star went to the other. Moreover, Nosovsky and Fomenko counted 29 depictions of the Muslim symbol on the coats of arms of ancient Russian cities, which, according to the researchers, also testifies to the former unity.
- The spiritual confrontation between Christianity and Islam is often simplified as the struggle between the cross and the crescent.
- The cross and crescent symbols share a common historical context, representing the divine union of opposites.
- The crescent and star are closely associated with Islam today, prominently displayed on many Muslim-majority countries' flags.
- The crescent symbolizes rebirth and transformation, linked to ancient myths about the lunar cycle.
- The Sumerians regarded the crescent as a symbol of the god Sin, as noted in Valery Ivanovich Gulyaev's historical work.
- An ancient stone stele depicts the crescent and a twelve-rayed star, signifying the sun, celebrating King Ur-Nammu’s ascension.
- Many ancient cultures portrayed deities associated with solar and lunar energy, showcasing the balance of Day and Night.
- Temples, coins, and royal artifacts from ancient civilizations in Asia and Europe often depicted the crescent and sun together, reflecting the unity of opposites in their belief systems.
- Many ancient civilizations, like the Sumerians, viewed the crescent moon as a symbol of royal authority linked to divine power, particularly associated with the Sun and Moon.
- The crescent moon appears on King Chashtana's coins, from the Western Kshatrapas dynasty (110-395 AD); it was also used by the Roman Empire, Turkic Khaganate, and Persian Kingdom in their heraldry.
- In Christian contexts, the symbol transformed significantly; the sun was replaced by the cross, and the crescent moon often became a mere decorative element, still seen at the base of Orthodox crosses.
- The association of the crescent with Islam became prevalent only in recent centuries. Renowned scholar V.V. Bartold noted in his work that this connection, while existing, was not widely adopted until later.
- The crescent was an official symbol of the Sassanid dynasty, reflecting loyalty and devotion from vassals.
- The crescent's prominence in Byzantine heraldry stemmed from its association with Hecate, the moon goddess, and was later adopted by the Ottomans after conquering Constantinople in 1453.
- The crescent as a religious symbol, significant for mosques, reflects Turkish-Ottoman Islam, unlike Islam in Central Asia prior to mid-19th century.
- The Russian campaigns in Turkestan began in 1847, indicating that the crescent and star symbol was not yet recognized in Central Asia as a Muslim emblem.
- The crescent gradually contrasted with the Christian cross, linked to historical religious conflicts between different faiths, continuing into modern times.
- Various researchers present controversial theories about the origin of the crescent symbol, even suggesting a connection between the crescent and cross based on ancient pagan motifs.
- Gleb Nosovsky and Anatoly Fomenko propose in their book that the cross formed as a star (like 6 or 8-pointed stars) relates to both symbols in Christian iconography.
- They argue that the cross and crescent represent a division of a singular original symbol between Christianity and Islam.
- The authors cite 29 occurrences of crescent symbols on coats of arms in ancient Russian cities as evidence of this historical connection.
Christianity and Islam's Symbolic Struggle
Historical Context of the Cross and Crescent
Islamic Identity and the Crescent
Symbolism of the Crescent
Crescent in Sumerian Culture
Ancient Stele and the Crescent
Solar and Lunar Balance in Mythology
Crescent and Sun in Ancient Artifacts
Crescent Moon and Royal Authority
Crescent on Ancient Coins
Transformation of the Crescent in Christianity
Crescent's Adoption in Islam
Crescent as a Symbol of the Sassanid Dynasty
Byzantine and Ottoman Adoption
The Crescent in Mosque Symbolism
Crescent Symbol in Central Asia
Crescent vs. Cross in Religious Conflicts
Theories on Crescent Symbol Origins
Cross and Crescent in Christian Iconography
Division of a Singular Original Symbol
Crescent Symbols in Russian Heraldry
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