The al-Quds star (in Arabic نجمه القدس, najmat al-Quds) is an adaptation of the Islamic Rub el Hizb symbol which is specifically associated with al-Quds (i.e. Jerusalem).
The eight-pointed star design is inspired by the octagonal ground-plan of the Umayyad Dome of the Rock shrine (built to commemorate Jerusalem's status as the first Qibla or direction of prayer in Islam), as well as by the standard Rub el Hizb symbol.
Versions of the al-Quds Star are used as:
- The logo of the 2009 Arab Capital of Culture, chosen to be al-Quds, under the Cultural Capitals Program to promote and celebrate Arab culture and encourage cooperation in the Arab region.
- The logo of al-Quds Bank, a financial institution headquartered in Ramallah.
Read more about this topic: Rub El Hizb
Famous quotes containing the word star:
“To love someone is to isolate him from the world, wipe out every trace of him, dispossess him of his shadow, drag him into a murderous future. It is to circle around the other like a dead star and absorb him into a black light.”
—Jean Baudrillard (b. 1929)