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{{short description|none}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}
{{See also|List of Iranian flags}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2017}}
{{Infobox flag
{{Infobox flag
| Name = Islamic Republic of Iran
| Name = Islamic Republic in Iran
| Article =
| Article =
| Nickname = Three Colour Flag
| Nickname = Tricolour Flag of Iran
| Image = Flag of Iran.svg
| Image = Flag of Iran.svg
| Use = 111111
| Use = 111111
| Symbol = {{FIAV|normal}}
| Symbol = {{FIAV|111111}} {{FIAV|sinister}} {{IFIS|Equal}}
| Proportion = see [[#Construction|below]]
| Proportion = 4:7 (de jure) (see [[#Construction|below]])
| Adoption = {{start date|df=yes|1980|07|29}}
| Adoption = {{start date and age|df=yes|1980|7|29}}
| Design = A horizontal tricolor of green, white and red with the [[Coat of arms of Iran|National Emblem]] in red centered on the white band and the Takbir written in the Kufic Script in white repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11 times along the top edge of the red band for a total of 22 times on the fringe of the bands.
| Design = A horizontal tricolour of green, white, and red with the [[Emblem of Iran|National Emblem]] in red centred on the white band and the [[Takbir]] written in the Kufic script in white, repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11 times along the top edge of the red band, for a total of 22 times on the fringe of the bands reminiscent of [[Iranian Revolution|22 Bahman]].
| Designer = [[Hamid Nadimi]]
}}
}}
{{Contains Perso-Arabic text}}
The current '''flag of [[Iran]]''' ({{lang-fa|{{nastaliq|پرچم ایران}}}}, ''Parcham-e Irān'') was adopted on 29 July 1980, and is a reflection of the changes brought about by the [[Iranian Revolution]]. Its field is a [[tricolour (flag)|tricolour]] comprising equal horizontal bands of green, white, and red.


The [[national flag]] of the [[Iran|Islamic Republic of Iran]], also known as the ''Tricolour Flag of Iran'' ({{lang|fa|پرچم سه‌رنگ ایران}}), is a [[tricolour (flag)|tricolour]] featuring the [[Pan-Iranian colors]] comprising equal horizontal bands of green, white and red with the [[emblem of Iran|national emblem]] (''[[Allah]]'') in red centred on the white band and the ''[[takbir]]'' written 11 times each in the [[Kufic script]] in white, at the bottom of the green and the top of the red band.<ref>[[Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran]]: Chapter II, Article 18: "The official flag of Iran is composed of green, white and red colours with the special emblem of the Islamic Republic, together with the motto ([[Takbir|Allahu Akbar]])."</ref> After the [[Iranian Revolution]] of 1979, the present-day flag was adopted on 29 July 1980.
==Flag description==


Many [[Iranian diaspora|Iranian exiles]] opposed to the Iranian government use the [[Iranian monarchy]] tricolour flag with the [[Lion and Sun]] at the center,<ref name="Najmabadi">{{citation |last=Najmabadi |first=Afsaneh |title=Women with Mustaches and Men without Beards: Gender and Sexual Anxieties of Iranian Modernity |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |year=2005 |isbn=0-520-24262-9 |pages=86–88}}</ref> or the [[Interim Government of Iran|tricolour]] without additional emblems.
===Emblem===
[[File:Emblem of Iran means.jpg|thumbnail|The [[Tawhid]] is an emblem of Iran]][[File:Iranian national flag (tehran).jpg|thumb|150px|right|Current flag of Iran since 1980]]
{{see also|Emblem of Iran}}
The parliament, per the 1980 constitution, changed the flag and seal of state insofar as the [[Lion and Sun]] were replaced by the red [[Emblem of Iran|emblem]] in the centre of the flag. Designed by [[Hamid Nadimi]], and officially approved by Parliament and the Leader [[Grand Ayatollah]] [[Khomeini]] on 9 May 1980, this [[Emblem]] is a highly stylized composite of various [[Islam]]ic elements: a geometrically symmetric form of the word ''[[Allah]]'' ("[[God]]") and overlapping parts of the phrase ''[[Shahada|lā ʾilāha ʾillā l-Lāh]],'' (There is no God Except Allah), forming a [[monogram]] in the form of a [[tulip]] it consists of four [[crescent]]s and a line. The four crescents read from right to left; the first crescent is the letter [[aleph#arabic|aleph]], the second crescent is the first [[lamedh#Arabic lām|laam]]; the vertical line is the second ''laam'', and the third and fourth crescents together form the ''heh''. Above the central stroke is a ''[[tashdid]]'' (a [[diacritical mark]] indicating [[gemination]]) resembling "W". The tulip shape of the emblem as a whole memorializes those who have died for Iran and symbolizes the values of [[patriotism]] and self-sacrifice, building on a legend that red tulips grow from the shed blood of [[martyr]]s.
This emblem is somewhat similar to the [[Khanda (Sikh symbol)|Khanda]] but has no relation to [[Sikhism]] and its meaning to that religious community.


===Kufic script===
==Flag description==
===Colour symbolism===
Written in white and repeated eleven times on the inner edges of each the green and the red band is the phrase ''[[Allahu Akbar]]'' (Allah is the greatest) in a stylized version of the [[Kufic#Square or geometric Kufic|kufic script]]. This symbolizes the calls of ''Allahu Akbar'' on the night of 22 [[Bahman]] (11 February 1979) when the national radio of Iran broadcast: "From Tehran, the voice of the Islamic Republic of Iran" and marked the unofficial beginning of the Islamic Republic (with the official day being 2 May). This writing renders the flag non-reversible.
{{Unreferenced section|date=February 2022}}

The Iranian flag, which was later designed under [[Darius I]], symbolised this unity and victory (green above white and red) as the flag of the people of Iran.<ref>Koch, Heidemarie 1989: Persepolis. Theran Yasavoli</ref>{{request quotation|date=February 2019}}
===Colours===

====Green====
In the Iranian culture, it symbolizes growth, happiness, unity, nature, vitality, and the [[Persian Language]]. Historically, a green and white flag in a triangular form used to be the flag of the [[Persian people|Persians]] (Pars).

====White====
The traditional colour of white stands for freedom. Because white is blank and it's free to hold anything on it.

====Red====
It stands for martyrdom. In the Iranian culture, it symbolizes bravery, fire, life, love, warmth, and sophistication. Historically, a red and white flag in a triangular form used to be the flag of the [[Medes]] (Mada).


====Colour scheme====
Since [[Cyrus the Great]], a Persian, defeated his grandfather [[Astyages]] the High Judge (King) of the Medes and founded Iran by uniting the Persians and the Medes. The Iranian flag (which was later designed under [[Darius I]] the Great) symbolized this unity and victory (green above white and red) as the flag of the people of Iran.<ref>Koch, Heidemarie 1989: Persepolis. Theran Yasavoli</ref>
{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2024}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!
! style="background:#239F40; width:200px" | <span style="color:white;">Green</span>
! style="background:#FFFFFF; width:200px" | <span style="color:black;">White</span>
! style="background:#DA0000; width:200px" | <span style="color:white;">Red</span>
|-
| style="background:#F2F2F2; text-align:right" | '''[[RGB color model|RGB]]'''
| <code>35/159/64</code> || <code>255/255/255</code> || <code>218/0/0</code>
|-
| style="background:#F2F2F2; text-align:right" | '''[[Hexadecimal]]'''
| <code>#239f40</code> || <code>#FFFFFF</code> || <code>#da0000</code>
|-
| style="background:#F2F2F2; text-align:right" |'''[[CMYK color model|CMYK]]'''
| <code>78/0/60/38</code> || <code>0/0/0/0</code> || <code>0/100/100/15</code>
|}


===Construction===
===Construction===
Physical requirements for the Iranian flag, a simple construction sheet, and a [[compass-and-straightedge construction]] for the emblem and the takbir are described in the national Iranian standard [[ISIRI]] 1.<ref>[http://www.isiri.org/portal/files/std/1.pdf ISIRI 1] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101150609/http://www.isiri.org/portal/files/std/1.pdf |date=1 November 2013 }} {{in lang|fa}}, 1st revision. Retrieved 19 June 2012</ref><ref>[http://www.isiri.org/portal/files/std/1.htm ISIRI 1 / IRANIAN ISLAMIC REPUBLIC FLAG, 1371] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120621160841/http://www.isiri.org/portal/files/std/1.htm |date=21 June 2012 }} {{in lang|fa}}, 3rd edition, March 1993. Retrieved 19 June 2012.</ref>
[[File:Flag of Iran (official).svg|thumb|right|Flag using compass-and-straightedge construction]]
Physical requirements for the Iranian flag, the exact shape of the emblem, and a [[compass-and-straightedge construction]] are described in the national Iranian standard [[ISIRI]]. The flag's [[List of national flags by aspect ratio|aspect ratio]] is explicitly set at 4:7 in the standard; however, constructing the flag using the compass-and-straightedge construction results in an irrational aspect ratio of {{nowrap|1 : {{sfrac|75|28}}(7{{sqrt|5}} − 15)}} or approximately 1:1.7477 (i.e. 4:6.9908).<ref>[http://www.isiri.org/portal/files/std/1.pdf ISIRI 1] {{fa icon}}, 1st revision. Retrieved 19 June 2012</ref><ref>[http://www.isiri.org/portal/files/std/1.htm ISIRI 1 / IRANIAN ISLAMIC REPUBLIC FLAG, 1371] {{fa icon}}, 3rd edition, March 1993. Retrieved 19 June 2012.</ref><ref>[http://0xc.de/flags/iran/ Construction of the Flag and the Coat of Arms of the Islamic Republic of Iran]</ref>


==History==
==History==
===Prehistory===
{{Iranian Flags}}
[[File:Bronze flag, Shadad Kerman, Iran.JPG|thumb|Shahdad Standard, ancient bronze flag found at [[Shahdad]], c. 2400 BC. This flag is one of the oldest in human history.]]
The oldest flag found in Iran is the [[Bronze Age]] Shahdad Standard, found in [[Shahdad]], [[Kerman province]], dating back to {{circa|2400 BCE}}, made of bronze. It features a seated man and a kneeling woman facing each other, with a star in between. This iconography can be found in other Bronze Age pieces of art in the area as well.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qsmtxmD5kWcC&q=shahdad+standard&pg=PA19|title=Susa and Elam. Archaeological, Philological, Historical and Geographical Perspectives.: Proceedings of the International Congress Held at Ghent University, December 14–17, 2009.|first1=Katrien De|last1=Graef|first2=Jan|last2=Tavernier|date=7 December 2012|publisher=BRILL|isbn=978-9004207400}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qbnyh2YH2KQC&q=shahdad+standard&pg=PA24|title=Art of the Bronze Age: Southeastern Iran, Western Central Asia, and the Indus Valley|first1=Holly|last1=Pittman|first2=Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York|last2=N.Y.)|date=12 December 1984|publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art|isbn=9780870993657}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6lDgYxV0DN8C&q=shahdad+standard&pg=PA227|title=Leaving No Stones Unturned: Essays on the Ancient Near East and Egypt in Honor of Donald P. Hansen|first1=Donald P.|last1=Hansen|first2=Erica|last2=Ehrenberg|date=12 December 2017|publisher=Eisenbrauns|isbn=9781575060552}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M2QMAQAAMAAJ&q=shahdad+standard|title=Shahdad: archaeological excavations of a bronze age center in Iran|first1=Ali|last1=Hakemi|first2=Istituto italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente Centro Scavi e Ricerche|last2=Archeologiche|date=12 December 1997|publisher=IsMEO|isbn=9788120410176}}</ref>


===Achaemenid Empire===
Flags, standards, and banners have always been important national and imperial symbols for [[Iranian peoples|Iranians]], both in war and peace. [[Xenophon]] reports that [[Cyrus the Great]]'s standard was a golden eagle with spread wings, mounted on a long shaft.
The Old Persian word for "banner, standard" was ''drafša-'' ([[Avestan language|Avestan]] ''drafša-'', Middle Persian ''drafš'', cognate with Sanskrit '' drapsá-''). [[Xenophon]] in ''[[Cyropaedia]]'' (7.1.4) describes the standard of [[Artaxerxes II]] at [[Cunaxa]] as "a golden eagle, with outspread wings, borne aloft on a long spear-shaft",<ref>George Henry Preblem, ''The Symbols, Standards, Flags, and Banners of Ancient and Modern Nations'', The Flag Research Center (1980).</ref> the same banner recorded to be used by [[Cyrus the Great]].<ref>{{cite book | authorlink=Alireza Shapur Shahbazi | first=Alireza Shapur | last=Shahbazi | date=15 December 1994 | url=https://iranicaonline.org/articles/derafs | chapter=DERAFŠ | title=Encyclopaedia Iranica | volume=VII | issue=3 | pages=312–315}}</ref>


According to [[Herodotus]] (9.59), each Persian army division had its own standard, and "all officers had banners over their tents" (Xenophon, 8.5.13). One such banner, a square plaque in saltire, is depicted on a Greek vase, the so-called "Douris cup" held by the Louvre.<ref>E. Pottier, ''Douris'', London, 1909, p. 105 fig. 20, Plate XXV.b</ref> A similar design is known from an [[Urartu|Urartian]] bronze disk from Altıntepe.<ref>O. A. Taşyürek, "Darstellungen des urartischen Gottes Haldi", in: S. Şahin, E. Schwertheim, J. Wagner (eds.), ''Studien zur Religion und Kultur Kleinasiens. Festschrift für Friedrich Karl Dörner'', Leiden, 1978, p. 942 fig. 7; pl. CCXVIII/4–5.</ref> Similar square plaques on poles are known from six of the audience scenes of the Throne Hall relief at Persepolis.<ref>E. F. Schmidt, ''Persepolis'' I, III, Chicago, 1953, 1970., p. 166, pls. 98, 99, 123.</ref> The [[Alexander Mosaic]] of Pompeii, a Roman-era copy of a Hellenistic painting dated {{circa|320 BCE}}, also shows the royal Persian standard.,<ref>T. Hölscher, ''Griechische Historienbilder des 5. und 4. Jahrhunderts v. Chr.'', Würzburg, 1973, pp. 122–69, 270–88.</ref> depicted as a rectangular plaque, possibly originally in purple, with a dark red border with yellow dots. In the field, a golden bird is only partially preserved. The "royal falcon" of Persia (''varəγna'') represented ''farr'' 'glory', while the eagle was associated with the Achaemenid dynasty itself.<ref>Aelian, ''De Natura Animalium'' 12.21 has a legend of Achaemenes having been raised by an eagle. [[Book of Ezra|Ezra]] (18:13) has "Eagle of the East" in reference to Cyrus.</ref>
The best-known symbol of Iran in recent centuries has been the [[Lion and Sun]] motif, which is a graphic expression of the astrological configuration of the [[Sun (astrology)|sun]] in the sign of [[Leo (astrology)|Leo]], although both celestial and animal figures have long and independent histories in Iranian heraldry. Late in the nineteenth century the Lion and Sun motif was combined with an earlier scimitar motif and superimposed on a tricolour of green, white, and red. With minor modifications, this remained the official flag until the revolution of 1979.


A square tile representing a miniature (12&nbsp;cm<sup>2</sup>) banner was discovered at [[Persepolis]] in 1948.<ref>Īrān-Bāstān Museum, Tehran, no. 2436; Sāmī, ''Persepolis'', tr. R. Sharp, Shiraz, 1970, fig. facing p. 100; H. Luschey, "Ein königliches Emblem", AMI 5, 1972, pp. 257–60.</ref> The tile is made of Egyptian blue frit and likely represents [[Ancient Egypt]]ian [[Horus]], but in the Persian context suggests local association with the Avestan ''varəγna'' or the royal eagle of the Achaemenids.<ref>A. Shapur Shahbazi, [http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/derafs DERAFŠ], ''[[Encyclopedia Iranica]]'' (1994, 2011).</ref>
===Achaemenid empire===
The Old Persian word for "banner, standard" was ''derafš'' (Avestan ''drafša-'', Middle Persian ''drafš'', cognate with Sanskrit '' drapsá-'').
[[Xenophon]] in ''[[Cyropaedia]]'' (7.1.4) describes the standard of [[Artaxerxes II]] at [[Cunaxa]] as "a golden eagle, with outspread wings, borne aloft on a long spear-shaft".<ref>George Henry Preblem, ''The Symbols, Standards, Flags, and Banners of Ancient and Modern Nations'', The Flag Research Center (1980).</ref> Since the flag being described is different from the flag made by [[Cyrus the Great]], it may be a later version.


===Sassanid Empire===
According to [[Herodotus]] (9.59), each Persian army division had its own standard, and "all officers had banners over their tents" (Xenophon, 8.5.13). One such banner, a square plaque in saltire, is depicted on a Greek vase, the so-called "Douris cup" held by the Louvre.<ref>E. Pottier, ''Douris'', London, 1909, p. 105 fig. 20, Plate XXV.b</ref> A similar design is known from an [[Urartu|Urartian]] bronze disk from Altıntepe.<ref>O. A. Taşyürek, "Darstellungen des urartischen Gottes Haldi," in: S. Şahin, E. Schwertheim, J. Wagner (eds.), ''Studien zur Religion und Kultur Kleinasiens. Festschrift für Friedrich Karl Dörner'', Leiden, 1978, p. 942 fig. 7; pl. CCXVIII/4-5.</ref>
Similar square plaques on poles are known from six of the audience scenes of the Throne Hall relief at Persepolis.<ref>E. F. Schmidt, ''Persepolis'' I, III, Chicago, 1953, 1970., p. 166, pls. 98, 99, 123.</ref>
The [[Alexander Mosaic]] of Pompeii, a Roman-era copy of a Hellenistic painting dated c. 320 BCE, also shows the royal Persian standard.,<ref>T. Hölscher, ''Griechische Historienbilder des 5. und 4. Jahrhunderts v. Chr.'', Würzburg, 1973, pp. 122-69, 270-88.</ref> depicted as a rectangular plaque, possibly originally in purple, with a dark red border with yellow dots. In the field, a golden bird is only partially preserved.
The "Persian bird" has variously been interpreted as a cock, an eagle or a falcon; the "royal falcon" of Persia (''varəγna'') represented ''farr'' or "glory", while the eagle was associated with the Achaemenid dynasty itself.<ref>Aelian, ''De Natura Animalium'' 12.21 has a legend of Achaemenes having been raised by an eagle. [[Book of Ezra|Ezra]] (18:13) has "Eagle of the East" in reference to Cyrus.</ref>

A square tile representing a miniature (12&nbsp;cm<sup>2</sup>) banner
was discovered at [[Persepolis]] in 1948.<ref>Īrān-Bāstān Museum, Tehran, no. 2436; Sāmī, ''Persepolis'', tr. R. Sharp, Shiraz, 1970, fig. facing p. 100; H. Luschey, "Ein königliches Emblem," AMI 5, 1972, pp. 257-60.</ref> The tile is made of Egyptian blue frit and likely represents Egyptian [[Horus]], but in the Persian context suggests local association with the Avestan ''varəγna'' or the royal eagle of the Achaemenids.<ref>A. Shapur Shahbazi, [http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/derafs DERAFŠ], ''[[Encyclopedia Iranica]]'' (1994, 2011).</ref>

===Sassanid empire===
{{Main|Derafsh Kaviani}}
{{Main|Derafsh Kaviani}}
[[File:Baydad.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.25|Derafsh Kaviani appearing in a coin of a local Persian dynasty that arose near [[Persepolis]] during the [[Seleucid]] reign.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Wiesehöfer |first=Josef |title=FRATARAKA |url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/frataraka |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Iranica |access-date=22 July 2012}}</ref> ]]
In [[Sassanid]] times the imperial flag was a leather rectangle covered with a thin layer of silk ornamented with jewels, with a four-pointed star at the centre, indicating the four corners of the world. This is the same star referred to as ''Akhtare Kaviani'' ("the Kaviani star") by [[Ferdowsi]] in the epic ''[[Shahnameh]]'' (''Book of Kings''). The flag was larger than the original Derafshe Kaviani apron and suspended from a lance, the point of which appeared above it. Attached to the lower edge were tassels of yellow, magenta, and scarlet, with large pendant jewels. The flag was destroyed by invading Muslim Arabs after their decisive [[Islamic conquest of Iran|defeat of the Sassanids]].
[[File:Baydad.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Derafsh Kaviani appearing in a coin of a local Persian dynasty that arose near [[Persepolis]] during the [[Seleucid]] reign.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wiesehöfer |first=Josef |title=FRATARAKA |url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/frataraka |work=Encyclopædia Iranica |accessdate=22 July 2012}}</ref> ]]


===Seljuk Empire===
{{Begin flag gallery}}
Various emblems and banners have been recorded to be used by the [[Seljuk Empire|Seljuks]] in different periods. Early Seljuks were using their traditional emblems, but they gradually adopted local Muslim emblems and banners. The official flag of the empire was most probably a black flag, similar to the flag of the [[Abbasid Caliphate]]. The flag was decorated with emblems, which were either superimposed over it or was placed above the flag.<ref>{{lang|fa|[[Mehmet Fuat Köprülü|کوپریلی، فؤاد]] (۱۳۷۹). [https://web.archive.org/web/20200401202710/https://rch.ac.ir/article/Details/13060 «پرچم٫ ۱:تاریخچه پرچم در جهان اسلام»]. در حداد عادل، غلامعلی. دانشنامه جهان اسلام. ۵. تهران: بنیاد دایرةالمعارف اسلامی. بایگانی‌شده از اصلی در ۱ آوریل ۲۰۲۰.}}</ref> This black flag was traditionally presented to the Seljuk sovereigns by the Abbasid caliphs.<ref name="Guzel2002" />
{{Flag entry|Width=300|Image=Derafsh Kaviani flag of the late Sassanid Empire.svg|Caption=Flag of [[Sassanid Empire]] (224-651)}}
{{End flag gallery}}


A yellow flag was also used to denote Seljuk sovereignty over a town.<ref name="Guzel2002">{{cite book |last1=Güzel |first1=Hasan Celâl |last2=Oğuz |first2=Cem |last3=Karatay |first3=Osman |title=The Turks: Middle ages |date=2002 |publisher=Yeni Türkiye |page=595 |language=en}}</ref>
===Islamic Iran===
The Sassanid state collapsed on the emergence of an Islamic empire in the Middle East. Since Islam strictly prohibited figurative and expressive symbols as [[Idolatry|idol worship]], all the traditional emblems used in Iranian flags were eliminated{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}}. Throughout this period there was no flag specific to Iran, although the use of Islamic banners was common{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}}.


===Ghaznavid dynasty===
===Ghaznavid dynasty===
The Turkic [[Ghaznavid dynasty]] were invested in promoting Iranian culture. They are known to have displayed a number of heraldic emblems that harked back to pre-Islamic Iran, including the Sun and Lion motif, as well as the Griffin motif.<ref>
[[Mahmud of Ghazni]] (998–1030) reinstated the use of symbolic expressions on the Iranian flag; the version he developed displayed a golden moon on a black background. A second flag has been attributed to the Ghaznavid empire, with a silver crescent moon and a peacock on a green field.<ref>[http://flagspot.net/flags/tr_imp.html flagspot.net] Retrieved 1 October 2007.</ref>
K. Farrokh, [http://kavehfarrokh.com/news/the-lion-and-sun-motif-of-iran-a-brief-analysis/ The Lion and Sun Motif of Iran: A brief Analysis] (2009), citing S. Nafisi, Derafsh-e Iran va Shir o Khoshid [The Banner of Iran and the Lion and the Sun]. Tehran: Chap e Rangin (1949), pp. 45, 48–58; G.H. Yusofi, Farrokh e Sistani. Mashad, (1962), p. 422.</ref> Their banners appear to have shown chequered motifs.<ref>based on the History of [[Rashid-al-Din Hamadani]], see
Rice, D. T., & Gray, B., ''The Illustrations of the "World History" of Rashīd al-Dīn'', Edinburgh (1967), plates 38, 44, 57, 60.</ref>


====Flags====
{{Begin flag gallery}}
{{gallery items|width=180
{{Flag entry|Width=200|Image=Old Ghaznavid Flag.svg|Caption=Reconstruction of the flag adopted by Mahmud (998–1030)}}
|[[File:Flag of Persia 1502-1524.svg|180x100px|border]]|Flag of [[Safavid dynasty]] under [[Ismail I]] (1501–1524)
{{End flag gallery}}
|[[File:Flag of Shah Tahmasp I.svg|180x100px|border]]|Flag of [[Safavid dynasty]] under [[Tahmasp I]] (1524–1576)
|[[File:Safavid Flag.svg|180x100px|border]]|Flag of [[Safavid dynasty]] after [[Ismail II]] (1576–1732)
|[[File:Safavids' Flag 1715 AD.jpg|left|thumb|upright|Flag of Iran carried by the Persian delegation during [[Mohammad Reza Beg]]'s visit to [[Palace of Versailles|Versailles]], August 1715]]
}}


===Safavid dynasty===
===Afsharid dynasty===
[[Nader Shah]] consciously avoided the using the colour green, as green was associated with [[Shia Islam]] and the [[Safavid dynasty]].<ref>Shapur Shahbazi|1999|Encyclopædia Iranica</ref>
[[File:Safavids' Flag 1715 AD.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Flag of Iran carried by the Persian delegation during [[Mohammed Reza Beg]]’s visit to [[Palace of Versailles|Versailles]], August 1715]]


[[File:Afsharid Flag.jpg|400x400px|thumb|upright|Imperial Standards of the Afsharid dynasty]]
The [[Safavid Dynasty]] (1501–1736) used three green flags, each with a different emblem. [[Ismail I]], the first Safavid king, designed a green flag with a golden full moon. In 1524 [[Tahmasp I]] replaced the moon with an emblem of a sheep and sun; this flag was used until 1576. It was then that [[Ismail II]] adopted the first Lion and Sun device, embroidered in gold, which was to remain in use until the end of the Safavid era. During this period the Lion and Sun stood for two pillars of the society: the state and religion. Although various ''[[alam]]s'' and banners were employed by the Safavids (especially during the reign of the first two kings), by the time of [[Abbas I of Persia|Shah Abbas I]] the Lion and Sun symbol had become one of the most popular emblems of Iran.


The two imperial standards were placed on the right of the square already mentioned: one of them was in stripes of red, blue, and white, and the other of red, blue, white, and yellow, without any other ornament: though the old standards required 12 men to move them, the shah lengthened their staffs, and made them yet heavier; he also put new colours of silk upon them, the one red and yellow striped, the other yellow edged with red: they were made of such an enormous size, to prevent their being carried off by the enemy, except by an entire defeat. The regimental colours were a narrow slip of silk, sloped to a point, some were red, some white, and some striped.<ref>Hanway, Jonas (1753). "XXXVII". An Historical Account of the British Trade over the Caspian Sea: With a Journal of Travels through Russia into Persią. 248-249. London: Mr. Dodsley. Retrieved 15 January 2020.</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.31214/page/n275/mode/2up | title=An Historical Account of the British Trade over the Caspian Sea Vol.1,2 | year=1753 }}</ref>
The Safavid interpretation of this symbol is believed to have been based on a combination of historical legends like the ''Shahnameh'', stories of prophets, and other Islamic sources. For the Safavids the king (''[[shah]]'') had two functions: he was both a ruler and a holy personage. This double role was considered the patrimony of the Iranian kings, derived from [[Jamshid]], mythical founder of the ancient Persian kingdom, and [[Ali]], the first [[Shia Islam|Shi'a]] [[Imamah (Shi'a doctrine)|Imam]]. Jamshid was associated with the sun and Ali with the lion (from his epithet "Lion of God"). The correspondence may originally have been based on a learned interpretation of the ''Shahnameh'' references to "the Sun of Iran" and "the Moon of the Turanians". Since the crescent moon had been adopted as the dynastic (and ultimately national) emblem of the Ottoman sultans, who were the new sovereigns of [[Sultanate of Rûm|Rum]], the Safavids of Iran, needing to have a dynastic and national emblem of their own, chose the Lion and Sun motif. The sun had further important meanings for the Safavid world, where time was organized around a [[solar calendar]], in contrast to the Arabo-Islamic [[Lunar calendar|lunar]] system. In the [[zodiac]] the sun is linked to Leo; for the Safavids the Lion and Sun symbol conveyed the double meaning of the royal and holy figure of the ''shah'' (Jamshid and Ali), the auspicious astrological configuration bringing the cosmic pair and the earthly—king and ''imam''—together.


Navy Admiral flag being a white ground with a red Persian Sword in the middle.<ref>Nādir Shāh's Campaigns in 'Omān, 1737–1744
Regarding the Safavid understanding of the Lion and Sun motif, Shahbazi suggests that "the Safavids had reinterpreted the lion as symbolizing Imam ʿAlī and the sun as typifying the 'glory of religion', a substitute for the ancient ''farr-e dīn''." They reintroduced the ancient concept of God-given glory (''farr'') to justify their rulership, attributing these qualities to Ali while tracing the king's genealogy through the Shia Fourth Imam's mother to the royal Sassanian house.
By Laurence Lockhart, Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies, University of London,Vol. 8, No. 1 (1935), pp. 157–171
</ref>


====Flags====
{{Begin flag gallery}}
{{gallery items|width=180
{{Flag entry|Width=200|Image=Flag of Persia 1502-1524.svg|Caption=Flag of [[Safavid Dynasty]] under [[Ismail I]] (1501-1524)}}
|[[File:Afsharid Imperial Standard (3 Stripes).svg|180x100px]]|An Imperial Standard of the Afsharid dynasty
{{Flag entry|Width=200|Image=Flag of Shah Tahmasp I.svg|Caption=Flag of [[Safavid Dynasty]] under [[Tahmasp I]] (1524-1576)}}
|[[File:Afsharid Imperial Standard (4 Stripes).svg|180x100px]]|Another Imperial Standard of the Afsharid dynasty
{{Flag entry|Width=200|Image=Safavid Flag.svg|Caption=Flag of [[Safavid Dynasty]] after [[Ismail II]] (1576-1732)}}
|[[File:Imperial_Flag_of_Nader_Shah_(2nd_Series)_-_No._1.svg|180x100px]]|Nader Shah's flag
{{End flag gallery}}
|[[File:PersiaNavalFlagAfsharidPeriod.svg|180x100px|border]]|Naval flag of Afsharid period
}}


===Afsharid dynasty===
===Zand dynasty===
The state flag of the [[Zand dynasty]] was a white triangular pennant with a green border and a gold lion and sun in the centre.<ref name="kavehfarrokh">{{cite news |title=The Lion and Sun Motif of Iran: A brief Analysis |newspaper=Dr. Kaveh Farrokh |url=http://www.kavehfarrokh.com/news/the-lion-and-sun-motif-of-iran-a-brief-analysis/ |access-date=12 November 2010}}</ref> Another version shown below included the same design but with green and red.
The [[Afsharid dynasty]] had two royal standards, one with red, white, and blue stripes and one with red, blue, white, and yellow stripes. [[Nader Shah]]'s personal flag was a yellow pennant with a red border and a lion and sun emblem in the centre. All three of these flags were triangular in shape.<ref name=xvi /><ref name=kavehfarrokh />


====Flags====
[[Nader Shah]] consciously avoided the using the colour green, as green was associated with [[Shia Islam]] and the [[Safavid dynasty]].<ref name=iranica />
{{gallery items|width=180
|[[File:Zand Dynasty flag.svg|180x100px]]|Flag of the Zand dynasty
|[[File:Another Zand Imperial Standard.png|180x100px]]|Another Flag of the Zand dynasty
|[[File:Zand "Ya Karim" Flag.png|180x100px]]|The "Ya Karim" flag, which was a pun on [[Karim Khan Zand]]'s name, and Al-Karim (the generous), which is one of the Islamic names of God
}}


===Early Qajar dynasty===
Navy Admiral flag being a white ground with a red Persian Sword in the middle.<ref>Nādir Shāh's Campaigns in 'Omān, 1737-1744
Few sources directly describe the national flag during Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar's reign. [[:fa:غلامحسین افضل‌الملک|Gholam Hossein Afzal ol-Molk]] refers to the ''Beyraq Qapuq'' ('execution flag') of the [[Naser al-Din Shah Qajar|Naserid]] period as originating from Agha Mohammad Khan's time.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=ببری‌دیزج |first=مهربان |date=1388 |title=انواع بیرق و کاربردهای آن در نتایج یک پژوهش عهد ناصری |url=http://ensani.ir/file/download/article/20101205121438-Pages%20from%20payam5-51.pdf |journal=يام بهارستان |pages=908}}</ref> This [[pennon]] flag is red and displays the lion and sun motif with a sword, although it is unlikely that the emblem resembled that of Agha Mohammad Khan's time given the sword-less design on the coins of this era. Several modern sources attribute a square flag with a red background and a pale yellow circle in the center, featuring a lion and a sun motif with a sword, to the period of [[Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar|Agha Mohammad Shah]]. The only visible source for this design is an unidentified portrait of Agha Mohammad Shah, where such a banner is present next to him. This painting was featured on the cover of the 1992 book ''Les Rois oubliés: L'épopée de la dynasty Kadjare'', by [[Ali Mirza Qajar]] (grandson of [[Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar]]). Moreover, the painting was also photographed at a Qajar family gathering at Chateau de Bonmont, [[Chéserex|Cheserex, Switzerland]] in 2003.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-04-03 |title=Meine Familie – Home |url=https://www.zarrinkafsch-bahman.org/ |access-date=2023-04-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403103728/https://www.zarrinkafsch-bahman.org/ |archive-date=3 April 2019 }}</ref>
By Laurence Lockhart, Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies, University of London,Vol. 8, No. 1 (1935), pp. 157-171
</ref>


In contradistinction, various contemporary and modern sources provide more detailed descriptions of Iranian flags and the development of the lion and sun motif during Fath-Ali Shah's rule, particularly in military contexts. [[:fa:گاسپار دروویل|Colonel Gaspard Drouville]], a French officer who served as a military instructor for the Iranian government after the signing of the [[Treaty of Finckenstein]], authored a two-volume travelogue that offers additional information on Iranian flags and standards.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Zoka |first=Yahya |date=1344 |title=تاریخچه تغییرات و تحولات درفش و علامت دولت ایران از آغاز سده سیزدهم هجری قمری تا امروز |url=http://ensani.ir/file/download/article/20101114173555-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE%DA%86%D9%87%20%DB%8C%20%D8%AA%D8%BA%DB%8C%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA%20%D9%88%20%D8%AA%D8%AD%D9%88%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA%20%D8%AF%D8%B1%D9%81%D8%B4%20%D9%88%20%D8%B9%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%AA%20%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%84%D8%AA%20%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%20%D8%A7%D8%B2%20%D8%A2%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%B2%20%D8%B3%D8%AF%D9%87%20%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%B2%D8%AF%D9%87%D9%85%20%D9%87%D8%AC%D8%B1%DB%8C%20%D9%82%D9%85%D8%B1%DB%8C%20%D8%AA%D8%A7%20%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B2.pdf |journal=هنر و مردم |pages=14}}</ref> [[File:Drapeau et etendard persans 1797-1848.jpg|thumb|right|The illustration from Drouville's ''Voyage en Perse'' depicts the smaller cavalry flag (left) and the larger infantry flag (right).]]Drouville expounds that in 1813, [[Fath-Ali Shah Qajar]] and [[Abbas Mirza]] attended a royal inspection of the [[Military history of Iran|regular infantry]] in [[Khanates of the Caucasus|Azarbaijan]] to personally confer each standard to their respective corps.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Drouville |first=Gaspard |title=Voyage en Perse, fait en 1812 et 1813, Volume 1 |publisher=Masson et Yonet |year=1825 |pages=116 |language=French}}</ref> These flags included the lion and sun motif, a date or number pertaining to the unit, and the inscription: ''"Sultan ibn Sultan Fath-Ali Shah Qajar"'' (Sultan son of Sultan Fath-Ali Shah Qajar), in reference to [[Abbas Mirza]]'s title.<ref name=":1" /> The flags and standards are further described as similar to those of the French, adorned with taffeta white streamers and golden fringes.<ref name=":1" /> Based on Drouville's illustration, the larger flags of the regular infantry were painted red, and the flagpole was crowned by the silver [[Ali|Hand of Ali]]. The smaller standards that were prescribed to the cavalry lancers were a deep blue and featured a crouching lion brandishing a curved sword before a setting sun. These standards were topped by golden spears that were "as sharp as those of the [[Uhlan|Houlans]]".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Drouville |first=Gaspard |title=Voyage en Perse, fait en 1812 et 1813, Volume 1 |publisher=Masson et Yonet |year=1825 |pages=118 |language=French}}</ref>[[File:Abbas Mirza in battle.jpg|left|thumb|224x224px|Illustration published by Lemercier & Cie, captioned: u''ne revue d Abbas-Mirza, Ser-Bâz (Infanterie régulière).'']]
{{Begin flag gallery}}
An illustration by the French battle painter [[Hippolyte Bellangé|Joseph Louis Hippolyte Bellangé]] depicts Abbas Mirza reviewing Persian regular troops. The infantry corps carries a standard with a spearhead finial bearing a couchant lion and sun with a sword, similar to the cavalry flag of the Nezam lancers depicted by Drouville. However, as the work dates to 1835, two years after Abbas Mirza's death, the flag's design may be an artistic oversight.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brown Digital Repository {{!}} Item {{!}} bdr:231139 |url=https://repository.library.brown.edu/studio/item/bdr:231139/ |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=repository.library.brown.edu}}</ref>
{{Flag entry|Width=200|Image=Afsharid Imperial Standard (3 Stripes).svg|NoBorder=yes|Caption=An Imperial Standard of the Afsharid dynasty}}
[[File:Qajar regular infantry (drummer, soldier, officer) and a military banner.jpg|thumb|Sketch of a Qajar military drummer, infantryman and officer, including a sarbaz infantry banner from Yermolov's ''Collection of Notes on Persia in 1817''.]]
{{Flag entry|Width=200|Image=Afsharid Imperial Standard (4 Stripes).svg|NoBorder=yes|Caption=Another Imperial Standard of the Afsharid dynasty}}
In his accounts of the Russo-Persian war, [[Aleksey Yermolov (general)|Captain Yermolov]], the Russian commander-in-chief in the Caucasus, documented the Iranian military in detail. One excerpt from his notes provides a vivid portrayal of a Nezam drummer, soldier, and officer carrying a Sarbaz infantry military banner dated to 1817. This banner, which shares many similarities with contemporary European regimental flags, features a lion and sun motif devoid of a sword within a white [[Lozenge (shape)|lozenge]] accented by a golden border. The light blue banner boasts a flagpole crowned by the silver [[Ali|Hand of Ali]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=PERSIAN REGULAR ARMY OF THE FIRST HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY (part 1) |url=https://warfare.6te.net/Persia/19/The_Persian_Regular_Army.htm |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=warfare.6te.net}}</ref>
{{Flag entry|Width=200|Image=Nader Shah Flag.svg|NoBorder=yes|Caption=Nader Shah's flag}}
[[File:Recreated Sarbaz Infantry Banner from Battle of Sultanabad.jpg|left|thumb|155x155px|Recreation of the regimental standards carried by the Qajar infantry corps in the painting of the [[Battle of Sultanabad]] at the [[Hermitage Museum]]. ]]
{{Flag entry|Width=200|Image=PersiaNavalFlagAfsharidPeriod.svg|Caption=Naval flag of Afsharid period}}
[[File:Battle Between Persians and Russians - State Hermitage Museum.jpg|thumb|223x223px|A painting of the Iranian victory at the Battle of Sultanabad displaying the Napoleonic-style military banners held by the sarbaz infantry corps.]]
{{End flag gallery}}
A painting, believed to be the work of [[:fa:الله‌وردی افشار|Allahverdi Afshar]] between 1814 and 1817, which adorned the walls of Abbas Mirza's [[Bostanabad|Ojan castle]] portrays the Iranian triumph at the [[Battle of Sultanabad]] on 13 February 1812. The painting exhibits Persian troops carrying banners of Napoleonic style, featuring the passant lion and sun equipped with a sword.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Battle of Sultanabad, Persia, 1812 |url=http://warfare.6te.net/Persia/19/Sultanabad.htm |access-date=2023-04-11 |website=warfare.6te.net}}</ref>


No contemporary sources have made any other indications of a sword wielded by the lion until the reign of [[Mohammad Shah Qajar|Mohammad Shah]].<ref name=":0" /> Nonetheless, this illustration provides valuable insight into the evolution of the emblem and its use on Iranian flags during the Qajar period.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Zoka |first=Yahya |date=1344 |title=تاریخچه تغییرات و تحولات درفش و علامت دولت ایران از آغاز سده سیزدهم هجری قمری تا امروز |journal=هنر و مردم |pages=15–16}}</ref> However, Zoka mentions the inscription of a coin from the [[Urmia]] mint, dated 1833 (1249 AH), in which a couchant lion is depicted holding a sword. According to Zoka, these sources prove that the earliest representation of the sword-wielding lion and sun pre-dates the reign of Mohammad Shah and was likely institutionalized in the latter years of Fath-Ali Shah's reign.<ref name=":2" />
===Zand dynasty===
The state flag of the [[Zand dynasty]] was a white triangular pennant with a green border and a gold lion and sun in the centre.<ref name=kavehfarrokh /> Another version included the same design but with green and red.


During Fath-Ali Shah's reign, the state flag and other flags adopted by the Iranian government purportedly opted for square or rectangular shapes over the [[Pennon|pennon flags]] commonly used in earlier eras. Another distinction noted in the designs of the lion and sun depicted on coins and flags of Fath-Ali Shah's era relative to those of prior years is the appearance of the lion. Before the middle of Fath-Ali Shah's reign, a [[Asiatic lion|Persian lion]], which is maneless and smaller in stature was prominent, whereas later depictions evolved to an [[African lion]].<ref name=":2" /> Towards the end of Fath-Ali Shah's reign the two common symbols of the Qajar empire were combined to include the [[Zulfiqar]] and the lion and sun in the official flag.<ref name="iranica">{{cite web |title=Encyclopædia Iranica: FLAGS i. Of Persia |url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/flags-i |access-date=12 November 2010}}</ref>
{{Begin flag gallery}}
{{Flag entry|Width=204|Image=Zand Dynasty flag.svg|NoBorder=yes|Caption=Flag of the Zand Dynasty}}
{{End flag gallery}}


While there is little evidence, several modern sources state that [[Fat′h-Ali Shah Qajar|Fath-Ali Shah]] adopted three different state flags; a plain red flag with a couchant lion and sun motif as the [[war flag]], a plain white flag with a couchant lion and sun for diplomatic purposes, and a green flag with a lion passant in front of the setting sun, wielding a sword during peacetime.<ref name="kavehfarrokh" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Iranian Flag, A Brief History (English version) |url=http://www.iraniansofmemphis.org/articles/Iranian%20Flag%20background%20-%20english.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726185444/http://www.iraniansofmemphis.org/articles/Iranian%20Flag%20background%20-%20english.pdf |archive-date=26 July 2011 |access-date=12 November 2010}}</ref>
===Early Qajar dynasty===
[[File:Iranian flag in the early 19th century.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Flag of Iran during [[Fath Ali Shah]]’s reign in the early 19th century, depicted by Drouville]]
[[File:Iranian flag; painting by Alexis Soltykoff.jpg|thumb|Painting of the Iranian delegation to St. Petersburg. The standard-bearer is holding a white lion and sun flag, in which the lion is wielding a curved sword.]]
[[Alexey Saltykov (1806–1859)|Alexis Soltykoff's]] ''Voyage en Perse'' includes an illustration depicting a standing lion wielding a sword. The painting is titled ''Entrée de l'ambassade de Perse a St. Petersbourg'' ('Entrance of the Persian Embassy to [[Saint Petersburg|St. Petersburg]]') and shows the arrival of [[Mirza Abolhassan Khan Ilchi]], then the Iranian ambassador to Russia, in 1838. The image features a Persian standard-bearer holding a rectangular flag with a lion passant, holding a curved sword in front of the setting sun. Atop the flagpole is the [[Ali|Hand of Ali]] finial. The painting was included in Soltykoff's book, which was published in 1851, several years after the events it depicts.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last=Zoka |first=Yahya |date=1344 |title=تاریخچه تغییرات و تحولات درفش و علامت دولت ایران از آغاز سده سیزدهم هجری قمری تا امروز (2) |url=http://ensani.ir/file/download/article/20101114174406-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%AE%DA%86%D9%87%20%D8%AA%D8%BA%DB%8C%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA%20%D9%88%20%D8%AA%D8%AD%D9%88%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA%20%D8%AF%D8%B1%D9%81%D8%B4%20%D9%88%20%D8%B9%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%AA%20%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%84%D8%AA%20%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%20%D8%A7%D8%B2%20%D8%A2%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%B2%20%D8%B3%D8%AF%D9%87%20%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%B2%D8%AF%D9%87%D9%85%20%D9%87%D8%AC%D8%B1%DB%8C%20%D9%82%D9%85%D8%B1%DB%8C%20%D8%AA%D8%A7%20%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B2%20(2).pdf |journal=هنر و مردم |pages=33–34}}</ref>
Unlike their Zand and Afsharid predecessors, the [[Qajar dynasty|Qajar]] rulers used rectangular flags. The flag of [[Mohammad Khan Qajar]] was red with a gold lion and sun inside of a pale yellow circle.<ref name=xvi>{{cite web |url=http://www.fotw.net/flags/ir_per16.html#qaj |title=Flags of the World: Persia (Iran) from XVI to XVIIIth century |accessdate=11 November 2010}}</ref>


French orientalist [[Louis Dupeux]] stated that one of the privileges enjoyed by the Shah of Iran was the right to "raise" several flags. Dubeux suggests that [[Mohammad Shah Qajar|Mohammad Shah]] had two flags. He describes one of these flags as displaying the [[Zulfiqar]] while the other depicted a couchant lion and sun motif.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dubeux |first=Louis |title=La Perse |publisher=Firmin Didot frères |year=1841 |location=Paris |pages=462 |language=French}}</ref>
[[Fat′h-Ali Shah Qajar|Fat′h Ali Shah]] adopted a lion emblem on a plain red field as his [[war flag]]. The main emblem was a lion [[couchant]] in front of a sun, but a design featuring a lion [[Attitude (heraldry)#Passant|passant]] holding a sword was also in use.<ref name=kavehfarrokh>{{cite web |url=http://www.kavehfarrokh.com/news/the-lion-and-sun-motif-of-iran-a-brief-analysis/ |title=The Lion and Sun Motif of Iran: A brief Analysis |accessdate=12 November 2010}}</ref> There was a green version of the flag for peace time and a white version for diplomatic purposes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iraniansofmemphis.org/articles/Iranian%20Flag%20background%20-%20english.pdf |title=Iranian Flag, A Brief History (English version) |accessdate=12 November 2010}}</ref>
[[File:Triangular banner of Moḥammad Shah1.png|thumb|The triangular banner of Mohammad Shah from the painting depicting the Battle of Ghurian.]]
While Iranian flags and military banners were largely uniform and similar in design by Mohammad Shah's reign, ''Ahmad Naqash's'' 1860 oil painting depicting the successful Iranian siege of the fort of [[Ghurian]] in 1837 serves as a contradictory source of information. Several noteworthy discrepancies arise. Firstly, the use of pennon banners is unusual as square and rectangular flags were more prominently used in Iran and adopted by the military at that time. Secondly, the sword-less lion and sun motif depicted in the painting is outdated. Thirdly, the white and green colour combination contradicts contemporary literature describing military banners and standards as being red or blue. According to Zoka, the painter may have relied on local designs as the work likely originated from [[Isfahan]] or [[Shiraz]], where forts in the provinces often raised flags different from those in [[Tehran]]. Zoka also suggests that the Herat expedition's army could have reused dated standards predating the new designs.<ref name=":3" />


Under [[Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar|Nasser al-Din Shah]], the principal flag was white with a green border on three sides and a lion and emblem in the centre.<ref name=xix>{{cite web |url=https://www.fotw.info/flags/ir_per19.html |title=Flags of the World: Persia (Iran) in the XIXth century |access-date=12 November 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Le Gras |first=M. A. |title=Album des pavillons, guidons et flammes de toutes les puissances maritimes |publisher=Dépôt des Cartes et Plans de la Marine |location=Paris |year=1858}}</ref> There was also a naval ensign which had a red and green border and a civil ensign which looked the same as the naval ensign but without the lion and sun in the middle.<ref name=xix /><ref name=Qajar />
During the reign of [[Mohammad Shah Qajar|Mohammad Shah]], the two different lion emblems were combined into a single flag which featured a lion passant holding a sword in front of a sun.<ref name=kavehfarrokh /><ref name=kavehfarrokh /><ref name=iranica>{{cite web |url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/flags-i |title=Encyclopædia Iranica: FLAGS i. Of Persia |accessdate=12 November 2010}}</ref>


====Flags====
Under [[Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar|Nasser al-Din Shah]], the principal flag was white with a green border on three sides and a lion and emblem in the centre.<ref name=xix>{{cite web |url=http://www.fotw.net/flags/ir_per19.html |title=Flags of the World: Persia (Iran) in the XIXth century |accessdate=12 November 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Le Gras |first=M. A. |title=Album des pavillons, guidons et flammes de toutes les puissances maritimes |publisher=Dépôt des Cartes et Plans de la Marine |location=Paris |year=1858}}</ref> There was also a naval ensign which had a red and green border and a civil ensign which looked the same as the naval ensign but without the lion and sun in the middle.<ref name=xix /><ref name=Qajar />
{{gallery items|width=180
|[[File:Flag of Agha Mohammad Khan.svg|180x100px|border]]|Flag of Mohammad Khan
|[[File:War Flag of Fath Ali Shah.svg|180x100px|border]]|War flag of Fat′h Ali Shah
|[[File:Fath Ali Shah Flag 1.svg|180x100px|border]]|Diplomatic flag of Fat′h Ali Shah


|[[File:Peace Flag of Fath Ali Shah (with sword).svg|180x100px|border]]|Peace flag of Fat′h Ali Shah (version with sword)
{{Begin flag gallery}}
{{Flag entry|Width=220|Image=Flag of Agha Mohammad Khan.svg|Caption=Flag of Mohammad Khan}}
|[[File:Mohammad Shah Qajar Flag.svg|180x100px|border]]|Flag used during the reign of Mohammad Shah
|[[File:Amir Kabir Flag.svg|180x100px|border]]|Tricolour flag designed by Amir Kabir, State flag 1848–1852
{{Flag entry|Width=220|Image=War Flag of Fath Ali Shah.svg|Caption=War flag of Fat′h Ali Shah}}

{{Flag entry|Width=220|Image=Fath Ali Shah Flag 1.svg|Caption=Diplomatic flag of Fat′h Ali Shah}}
|[[File:Early 20th Century Qajar Flag.svg|180x100px|border]]|State flag 1852–1907
{{New flag row}}
|[[File:Qajar Civil Ensign.svg|180x100px|border]]|Civil ensign until 1906
{{Flag entry|Width=220|Image=Peace Flag of Fath Ali Shah (with sword).svg|Caption=Peace flag of Fat′h Ali Shah (version with sword)}}
|[[File:Qajar Naval Ensign.svg|180x100px|border]]|Naval ensign until 1906
{{Flag entry|Width=220|Image=Mohammad Shah Qajar Flag.svg|Caption=Flag used during the reign of Mohammad Shah}}

{{Flag entry|Width=220|Image=Amir Kabir Flag.svg|Caption=Tricolour flag designed by Amir Kabir}}
|[[File:Tricolour Flag of Iran (1886).svg|180x100px|border]]|Tricolour flag reported in 1886
{{New flag row}}
}}
{{Flag entry|Width=220|Image=Early 20th Century Qajar Flag.svg|Caption=State flag until 1906}}
{{Flag entry|Width=220|Image=Qajar Civil Ensign.svg|Caption=Civil ensign until 1906}}
{{Flag entry|Width=220|Image=Qajar Naval Ensign.svg|Caption=Naval ensign until 1906}}
{{New flag row}}
{{Flag entry|Width=220|Image=Tricolour Flag of Iran (1886).svg|Caption=Tricolour flag reported in 1886}}
{{End flag gallery}}


===Post-Constitutional Revolution===
===Post-Constitutional Revolution===
[[File:State flag of Persia (1907–1933).svg|thumb|State flag of Iran (1907–1933). This flag was standardised during the constitutional monarchy era, but the main flag elements were unchanged and described in the Iranian supplementary fundamental laws of 7 October 1907.]]
[[File:Flag of Iran before 1979 Revolution.svg|thumb|200px|left|Flag of the [[Pahlavi dynasty]] before the [[Iranian Revolution|1979 Revolution]]]]
[[File:State flag of Iran 1964-1980.svg|thumb|The lion and sun flag of Iran after the constitution, its central emblem was never approved{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}, but it was used after the constitution, especially during the reign of [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]].]]
The first version of the modern Iranian tricolour was adopted in the wake of the [[Iranian Constitutional Revolution]] of 1906.<ref name=Qajar>{{cite web |url=http://fotw.net/flags/ir_imp05.html |title=Flags of the World: Iranian Empire (Qajar dynasty, 1905-1925) |accessdate=10 November 2010}}</ref> The [[Persian Constitution of 1906#The supplementary fundamental laws of October 7, 1907|Supplementary Fundamental Laws]] of 7 October 1907 described the flag as a tricolour of green, white, and red, with a lion and sun emblem in the middle.<ref>{{ws| [[s:Iran Constitution of 1906|Iran Constitution of 1906]]}}</ref> A decree dated 4 September 1910 specified the exact details of the emblem, including the shape of the lion's tail ("like an italic S") and the position and the size of the lion, the sword, and the sun.<ref>{{citation |last1=Najmabadi |first1=Afsaneh |title=Women with Mustaches and Men without Beards: Gender and Sexual Anxieties of Iranian Modernity |publisher=University of California Press |year=2005 |page=86}}</ref>
The first version of the modern Iranian tricolour was adopted in the wake of the [[Iranian Constitutional Revolution]] of 1906.<ref name=Qajar>{{cite web |url=https://www.fotw.info/flags/ir_imp05.html |title=Flags of the World: Iranian Empire (Qajar dynasty, 1905–1925) |access-date=10 November 2010}}</ref> The [[Persian Constitution of 1906#The supplementary fundamental laws of October 7, 1907|Supplementary Fundamental Laws]] of 7 October 1907 described the flag as a tricolour of green, white, and red, with a lion and sun emblem in the middle.<ref>{{ws| [[s:Iran Constitution of 1906|Iran Constitution of 1906]]}}</ref> A decree dated 4 September 1910 specified the exact details of the emblem, including the shape of the lion's tail and the position and the size of the lion, the sword, and the sun.<ref name="Najmabadi" />


During this period, the colours of the flag were very pale, with the red appearing closer to pink in practice. There were three variants of the flag in use. The [[state flag]] was a tricolour with the lion and sun emblem in the centre. The [[national flag]] and [[civil ensign]] was a plain tricolour with no emblem. The [[naval ensign]] and [[war flag]] was similar to the state flag, but the emblem was surrounded by a wreath and surmounted by a crown. All three flags had a 1:3 ratio.<ref name=Qajar/>
During this period, the colours of the flag were very pale, with the red appearing closer to pink in practice. There were three variants of the flag in use. The [[state flag]] was a tricolour with the lion and sun emblem in the centre. The [[national flag]] and [[civil ensign]] was a plain tricolour with no emblem. The [[naval ensign]] and [[war flag]] was similar to the state flag, but the emblem was surrounded by a wreath and surmounted by a crown. All three flags had a 1:3 ratio.<ref name=Qajar/>


The flag was modified twice during the [[Pahlavi era]]. In 1933, the colours of the flag were darkened and the design of the emblem was changed. The sun's facial features were removed and the [[Kiani Crown]] on the naval ensign was replaced with the [[Pahlavi Crown]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fotw.net/flags/ir_imp25.html |title=Flags of the World: Iranian Empire (Pahlavi dynasty, 1925-1964) |accessdate=10 November 2010}}</ref> In 1964, the ratio was changed from 1:3 to 4:7 and the emblem on the naval ensign was shrunk to fit entirely within the white stripe.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://fotw.net/flags/ir_imp64.html |title=Flags of the World: Iranian Empire (Pahlavi Dynasty, 1964-1979) |accessdate=10 November 2010}}</ref>
The flag was modified twice during the [[Pahlavi era]]. In 1933, the colours of the flag were darkened and the design of the emblem was changed. The sun's facial features were removed and the [[Kiani Crown]] on the naval ensign was replaced with the [[Pahlavi Crown]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fotw.info/flags/ir_imp25.html |title=Flags of the World: Iranian Empire (Pahlavi dynasty, 1925–1964) |access-date=10 November 2010}}</ref> In 1964, the ratio was changed from 1:3 to 4:7 and the emblem on the naval ensign was shrunk to fit entirely within the white stripe.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fotw.info/flags/ir_imp64.html |title=Flags of the World: Iranian Empire (Pahlavi Dynasty, 1964–1979) |access-date=10 November 2010}}</ref>


Following the [[Iranian Revolution]], the [[Interim Government of Iran]] removed the crown from the naval ensign. The old state and national flags remained unchanged until 29 July 1980, when the modern Iranian flag was adopted.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://flagspot.net/flags/ir_tra79.html |title=Flags of the World: Iran: Transition period (1979-1980) |accessdate=10 November 2010}}</ref>
Following the [[Iranian Revolution]], the [[Interim Government of Iran]] removed the crown from the naval ensign. The old state and national flags remained unchanged until 29 July 1980, when the modern Iranian flag was adopted.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://flagspot.net/flags/ir_tra79.html |title=Flags of the World: Iran: Transition period (1979–1980) |access-date=10 November 2010}}</ref>


====Historical flags====
{{Begin flag gallery}}
[[File:Man with the lion and sun umbrella.jpg|upright|thumb|The political [[Iranian diaspora]] use the lion and sun emblem on Iranian flags.<ref name="Najmabadi" />]]


{|
{{Flag entry|Width=120|Image=Naval Ensign of Iran (1907-1933).svg|Caption=Naval ensign (1907–1933)}}
! Years !! Naval ensign !! Civil flag !! State flag
{{Flag entry|Width=120|Image=Flag of Persia (1907).svg|Caption=National flag (1907–1933)}}
|-
{{Flag entry|Width=120|Image=Flag of Persia (1910).svg|Caption=State flag (1907–1933)}}
!1736–1747
{{New flag row}}
|<gallery mode="nolines">PersiaNavalFlagAfsharidPeriod.svg|Naval flag of Nader Shah<br>(1736–1747)
{{Flag entry|Width=120|Image=Naval Ensign of Iran (1933-1964).svg|Caption=Naval ensign (1933–1964)}}
</gallery>
{{Flag entry|Width=120|Image=Flag of Iran (1925).svg|Caption=National flag (1933–1964)}}
|<gallery mode="nolines">Naderian Afsharid Flag 1.png|Diplomatic flag of Nader Shah<br>(1736–1747)
{{Flag entry|Width=120|Image=State Flag of Iran (1925).svg|Caption=State flag (1933–1964)}}
</gallery>
{{New flag row}}
|<gallery mode="nolines">Afsharian Flag 2.png|War flag of Nader Shah<br>(1736–1747)
{{Flag entry|Width=204|Image=Naval Ensign of Iran (1964-1979).svg|Caption=Naval ensign (1964–1979)}}
</gallery>
{{Flag entry|Width=204|Image=Flag of Iran (1964).svg|Caption=National flag (1964–1980)}}
|-
{{Flag entry|Width=204|Image=State Flag of Iran (1964).svg|Caption=State flag (1964–1980)}}
!1797–1834
{{New flag row}}
|<gallery mode="nolines">War Flag of Fath Ali Shah.svg|War flag of Fat′h Ali Shah<br>(1797–1834)
{{Flag entry|Width=204|Image=Naval Ensign of Iran (1979-1980).svg|Caption=Naval ensign (1979–1980)}}
{{End flag gallery}}
</gallery>
|<gallery mode="nolines">Fath Ali Shah Flag 1.svg|Diplomatic flag of Fat′h Ali Shah<br>(1797–1834)
</gallery>
|<gallery mode="nolines">Peace Flag of Fath Ali Shah (with sword).svg|Peace flag of Fat′h Ali Shah<br>(1797–1834)
</gallery>
|-
!1834–1848
|
|
|<gallery mode="nolines">Mohammad Shah Qajar Flag.svg|Flag used during the reign of Mohammad Shah<br>(1834–1848)
</gallery>
|-
!1848–1852
|
|
|<gallery mode="nolines">Amir Kabir Flag.svg|[[State flag]]<br>(1848–1852)
</gallery>
|-
!1852–1906
|<gallery mode="nolines">Qajar Naval Ensign.svg|[[Naval ensign]]<br>(1852–1906)
</gallery>
|<gallery mode="nolines">Qajar Civil Ensign.svg|[[Civil flag]]<br>(1852–1906)
</gallery>
|<gallery mode="nolines">Early 20th Century Qajar Flag.svg|[[State flag]]<br>(1852–1906)
</gallery>
|-
!1906–1907, 1910–1933
|<gallery mode="nolines">Naval Ensign of Iran (1907–1933).svg|Naval ensign<br>(1906–1907, 1910–1933)
</gallery>
|<gallery mode="nolines">Flag of Persia (1907).svg|Civil flag<br>(1906–1907, 1910–1933)
</gallery>
|<gallery mode="nolines">State flag of Persia (1907–1933).svg|State flag<br>(1906–1933)
</gallery>
|-
!1933–1964
|<gallery mode="nolines">Naval Ensign of Iran (1933–1964).svg|Naval ensign<br>(1933–1964)
</gallery>
|<gallery mode="nolines">Flag of Iran (1925).svg|Civil flag<br>(1933–1964)
</gallery>
|<gallery mode="nolines">State Flag of Iran (1925).svg|State flag<br>(1933–1964)
</gallery>
|-
!1964–1979
|<gallery mode="nolines">File:Naval ensign of Iran (1964–1979).svg|War flag and ensign<br>(1964–1979)
</gallery>
|<gallery mode="nolines">File:Flag of Iran (1964).svg|Civil flag and ensign<br>(1964–1980)
</gallery>
|<gallery mode="nolines">
File:State flag of Iran (1964–1980).svg|State flag (1964–1980)
</gallery>
|-
!1979–1980
|<gallery mode="nolines">File:Naval Ensign of Iran (1979–1980).svg|Naval ensign<br>(1979–1980)
</gallery>
|<gallery mode="nolines">File:Flag of Iran (1964).svg|Civil flag and ensign<br>(1979–1980)
</gallery>
|<gallery mode="nolines">First Flag of I.R.Iran.svg|State flag<br>(1980)
</gallery>
|-
!1980–present
|<gallery mode="nolines">File:Flag of Iran.svg|Naval flag <br>(1980–''present'')
</gallery>
|<gallery mode="nolines">File:Flag of Iran.svg|Civil flag<br>(1980–''present'')
</gallery>
|<gallery mode="nolines">File:Flag of Iran.svg|State flag<br>(1980–''present'')
</gallery>
|}


The Lion and Sun symbol represented the "oppressive Westernizing monarchy" that had to be replaced, despite the emblem’s traditional [[Shi'a]] meanings and the lion's association with [[Ali]], the first [[Imam]] of the Shi'a.<ref>{{citation |last=Babayan |first=Kathryn |title=Mystics, Monarchs, and Messiahs: Cultural Landscapes of Early Modern Iran |publisher=Harvard College |year=2002 |page=491 |isbn=0-932885-28-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WLoUePLTdfgC&pg=PA491&dq=lion%20and%20sun#v=onepage&q=lion%20and%20sun&f=false}}</ref> For that reason, the name of the [[Red Lion and Sun Society]] was changed to [[Red Crescent Society]].
The new Iranian government viewed the Lion and Sun symbol as representing the "oppressive [[Westernising]] monarchy" that had to be replaced, despite the emblem's traditional [[Shi'a]] meanings and the lion's association with [[Ali]], the first [[Imam]] of the Shi'a.<ref>{{citation |last=Babayan |first=Kathryn |title=Mystics, Monarchs, and Messiahs: Cultural Landscapes of Early Modern Iran |publisher=Harvard College |year=2002 |page=491 |isbn=0-932885-28-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WLoUePLTdfgC&q=lion+and+sun&pg=PA491}}</ref> For that reason, the name of the [[Red Lion and Sun Society]] was changed to [[Red Crescent Society]].
[[File:Lion and Sun Flag of Iran.jpg|thumb|Lion and Sun Flag of Iran at a protest in Victoria, British Columbia, on Saturday 19 November 2022]]

Currently, the Lion and Sun flag is used by Iranian communities in exile as a symbol of opposition to the Islamic Republic. Some political groups in Iran, including monarchists, continue to use it as well. In [[Los Angeles]], California and other cities with large Iranian expatriate communities, the Lion and Sun, as a distinguishing marker, appears on Iranian flags and souvenirs to an extent that far surpasses its display during the years of monarchy in its homeland,<ref name="Najmabadi" /> where the plain tricolour was usually used. After the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the replacement of the lion and sun flag with the new flag, new designs of this flag were still presented, prominently by the [[People's Mujahideen of Iran]].{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}
[[File:Man with the lion and sun umbrella.jpg|130px|right|thumb|[[Iranian diaspora]] use the lion and sun emblem on Iranian flags<ref name="page 87-88">{{harv|Najmabadi|2005|pp=87–8}}</ref>]]

Currently, the Lion and Sun flag is used by Iranian communities in exile as a symbol of opposition to the Islamic Republic, similar to most [[Overseas Vietnamese|Vietnamese expatriates']] use of the [[Flag of South Vietnam|South Vietnamese flag]]. Some political groups in Iran, including monarchists and the [[People's Mujahedin of Iran|People's Mujahedin]], continue to use it as well. In [[Los Angeles, California]] and other cities with large Iranian expatriate communities, the Lion and Sun, as a distinguishing marker, appears on Iranian flags and souvenirs to an extent that far surpasses its display during the years of monarchy in its homeland, where the plain tricolour was usually used.<ref name=Najmabadi>{{citation |last=Najmabadi |first=Afsaneh |title=Gender and Sexual Anxieties of Iranian Modernity |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |year=2005 |chapter=II |isbn=0-520-24262-9}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
{{Portal|Iran|Heraldry}}
{{Portal|Iran|Heraldry}}
* [[Pan-Iranian colors]]
* [[Emblem of Iran]]
* [[Emblem of Iran]]
* [[Imperial Standards of Iran]]
* [[Imperial Standards of Iran]]
* [[Lion and Sun]]
* [[Lion and Sun]]
* [[:Category:Flags of Iran]]
* [[Flag of Kurdistan]]
* [[Flag of Tajikistan]]
* [[Flag of Tajikistan]]
* [[Flag of the Tajik SSR]]
* [[List of flags used by Iranian peoples]]
* [[Flag of Kurdistan]]
* [[List of Iranian flags]]
* [[Talysh-Mughan Autonomous Republic]]
* [[Flags of the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces]]
* [[List of Flags used by Iranians]]
* [[Flag of North Rhine-Westphalia]]


== References ==
== References ==
Line 195: Line 265:
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


=== Sources ===
== External links ==
{{Commons category|National flag of Iran}}
* [http://www.worldflags101.com/i/iran-flag.aspx worldflags101.com] Retrieved 1 October 2007.
* [https://www.fotw.info/flags/ir%27.html ''Flags of the World''].
* [http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/articles/article/Iran/About-the-Iran-Flag/106 kwintessential.co.uk] Retrieved 1 October 2007.
* [http://www.vexilla-mundi.com/iran_flag.html ''Vexilla Mundi''].

==External links==
{{Commons category|Flags of Iran}}
* {{FOTW|id=ir|title=Iran}}
* {{FOTW|id=ir|title=Iran}}
* [http://www.rbvex.it/asiapag/iran.html Flags Of Iran]
* [http://www.rbvex.it/asiapag/iran.html Flags Of Iran]
* [http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/flags-i Flags i. Of Persia]—Encyclopædia Iranica
* [http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/flags-i Flags i. Of Persia]—''[[Encyclopædia Iranica]]''
* [http://www.parstimes.com/flag/ Iran Flag & National Anthem]
* [http://0xc.de/flags/iran/ Geometric, algebraic and numeric construction of the National Flag]
* [http://0xc.de/flags/iran/ Geometric, algebraic and numeric construction of the National Flag]
* [https://flagofiran.com/ Iran's Lion and Sun flag website]


{{Asia topic|Flag of|title=[[Flags of Asia]]}}
{{Asia topic|Flag of|title=[[Flags of Asia]]}}
{{nationalflags}}
{{National symbols of Iran}}
{{National symbols of Iran}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Flag Of Iran}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flag of Iran}}
[[Category:Flags introduced in 1980|Iran]]
[[Category:Flags of Iran]]
[[Category:Flags of Iran]]
[[Category:Iranian culture]]
[[Category:Culture of Iran]]
[[Category:National flags|Iran]]
[[Category:National flags|Iran]]
[[Category:National symbols of Iran]]
[[Category:National symbols of Iran]]
[[Category:Flags representing the Shahada|Iran]]
[[Category:Flags with green, red and white]]

Latest revision as of 23:34, 7 December 2024

Islamic Republic in Iran
Tricolour Flag of Iran
UseNational flag and ensign Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag Reverse side is congruent with obverse side
Proportion4:7 (de jure) (see below)
Adopted29 July 1980; 44 years ago (1980-07-29)
DesignA horizontal tricolour of green, white, and red with the National Emblem in red centred on the white band and the Takbir written in the Kufic script in white, repeated 11 times along the bottom edge of the green band and 11 times along the top edge of the red band, for a total of 22 times on the fringe of the bands reminiscent of 22 Bahman.
Designed byHamid Nadimi

The national flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran, also known as the Tricolour Flag of Iran (پرچم سه‌رنگ ایران), is a tricolour featuring the Pan-Iranian colors comprising equal horizontal bands of green, white and red with the national emblem (Allah) in red centred on the white band and the takbir written 11 times each in the Kufic script in white, at the bottom of the green and the top of the red band.[1] After the Iranian Revolution of 1979, the present-day flag was adopted on 29 July 1980.

Many Iranian exiles opposed to the Iranian government use the Iranian monarchy tricolour flag with the Lion and Sun at the center,[2] or the tricolour without additional emblems.

Flag description

[edit]

Colour symbolism

[edit]

The Iranian flag, which was later designed under Darius I, symbolised this unity and victory (green above white and red) as the flag of the people of Iran.[3][need quotation to verify]

Colour scheme

[edit]
Green White Red
RGB 35/159/64 255/255/255 218/0/0
Hexadecimal #239f40 #FFFFFF #da0000
CMYK 78/0/60/38 0/0/0/0 0/100/100/15

Construction

[edit]

Physical requirements for the Iranian flag, a simple construction sheet, and a compass-and-straightedge construction for the emblem and the takbir are described in the national Iranian standard ISIRI 1.[4][5]

History

[edit]

Prehistory

[edit]
Shahdad Standard, ancient bronze flag found at Shahdad, c. 2400 BC. This flag is one of the oldest in human history.

The oldest flag found in Iran is the Bronze Age Shahdad Standard, found in Shahdad, Kerman province, dating back to c. 2400 BCE, made of bronze. It features a seated man and a kneeling woman facing each other, with a star in between. This iconography can be found in other Bronze Age pieces of art in the area as well.[6][7][8][9]

Achaemenid Empire

[edit]

The Old Persian word for "banner, standard" was drafša- (Avestan drafša-, Middle Persian drafš, cognate with Sanskrit drapsá-). Xenophon in Cyropaedia (7.1.4) describes the standard of Artaxerxes II at Cunaxa as "a golden eagle, with outspread wings, borne aloft on a long spear-shaft",[10] the same banner recorded to be used by Cyrus the Great.[11]

According to Herodotus (9.59), each Persian army division had its own standard, and "all officers had banners over their tents" (Xenophon, 8.5.13). One such banner, a square plaque in saltire, is depicted on a Greek vase, the so-called "Douris cup" held by the Louvre.[12] A similar design is known from an Urartian bronze disk from Altıntepe.[13] Similar square plaques on poles are known from six of the audience scenes of the Throne Hall relief at Persepolis.[14] The Alexander Mosaic of Pompeii, a Roman-era copy of a Hellenistic painting dated c. 320 BCE, also shows the royal Persian standard.,[15] depicted as a rectangular plaque, possibly originally in purple, with a dark red border with yellow dots. In the field, a golden bird is only partially preserved. The "royal falcon" of Persia (varəγna) represented farr 'glory', while the eagle was associated with the Achaemenid dynasty itself.[16]

A square tile representing a miniature (12 cm2) banner was discovered at Persepolis in 1948.[17] The tile is made of Egyptian blue frit and likely represents Ancient Egyptian Horus, but in the Persian context suggests local association with the Avestan varəγna or the royal eagle of the Achaemenids.[18]

Sassanid Empire

[edit]
Derafsh Kaviani appearing in a coin of a local Persian dynasty that arose near Persepolis during the Seleucid reign.[19]

Seljuk Empire

[edit]

Various emblems and banners have been recorded to be used by the Seljuks in different periods. Early Seljuks were using their traditional emblems, but they gradually adopted local Muslim emblems and banners. The official flag of the empire was most probably a black flag, similar to the flag of the Abbasid Caliphate. The flag was decorated with emblems, which were either superimposed over it or was placed above the flag.[20] This black flag was traditionally presented to the Seljuk sovereigns by the Abbasid caliphs.[21]

A yellow flag was also used to denote Seljuk sovereignty over a town.[21]

Ghaznavid dynasty

[edit]

The Turkic Ghaznavid dynasty were invested in promoting Iranian culture. They are known to have displayed a number of heraldic emblems that harked back to pre-Islamic Iran, including the Sun and Lion motif, as well as the Griffin motif.[22] Their banners appear to have shown chequered motifs.[23]

Flags

[edit]

Afsharid dynasty

[edit]

Nader Shah consciously avoided the using the colour green, as green was associated with Shia Islam and the Safavid dynasty.[24]

Imperial Standards of the Afsharid dynasty

The two imperial standards were placed on the right of the square already mentioned: one of them was in stripes of red, blue, and white, and the other of red, blue, white, and yellow, without any other ornament: though the old standards required 12 men to move them, the shah lengthened their staffs, and made them yet heavier; he also put new colours of silk upon them, the one red and yellow striped, the other yellow edged with red: they were made of such an enormous size, to prevent their being carried off by the enemy, except by an entire defeat. The regimental colours were a narrow slip of silk, sloped to a point, some were red, some white, and some striped.[25][26]

Navy Admiral flag being a white ground with a red Persian Sword in the middle.[27]

Flags

[edit]

Zand dynasty

[edit]

The state flag of the Zand dynasty was a white triangular pennant with a green border and a gold lion and sun in the centre.[28] Another version shown below included the same design but with green and red.

Flags

[edit]

Early Qajar dynasty

[edit]

Few sources directly describe the national flag during Agha Mohammad Khan Qajar's reign. Gholam Hossein Afzal ol-Molk refers to the Beyraq Qapuq ('execution flag') of the Naserid period as originating from Agha Mohammad Khan's time.[29] This pennon flag is red and displays the lion and sun motif with a sword, although it is unlikely that the emblem resembled that of Agha Mohammad Khan's time given the sword-less design on the coins of this era. Several modern sources attribute a square flag with a red background and a pale yellow circle in the center, featuring a lion and a sun motif with a sword, to the period of Agha Mohammad Shah. The only visible source for this design is an unidentified portrait of Agha Mohammad Shah, where such a banner is present next to him. This painting was featured on the cover of the 1992 book Les Rois oubliés: L'épopée de la dynasty Kadjare, by Ali Mirza Qajar (grandson of Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar). Moreover, the painting was also photographed at a Qajar family gathering at Chateau de Bonmont, Cheserex, Switzerland in 2003.[30]

In contradistinction, various contemporary and modern sources provide more detailed descriptions of Iranian flags and the development of the lion and sun motif during Fath-Ali Shah's rule, particularly in military contexts. Colonel Gaspard Drouville, a French officer who served as a military instructor for the Iranian government after the signing of the Treaty of Finckenstein, authored a two-volume travelogue that offers additional information on Iranian flags and standards.[31]

The illustration from Drouville's Voyage en Perse depicts the smaller cavalry flag (left) and the larger infantry flag (right).

Drouville expounds that in 1813, Fath-Ali Shah Qajar and Abbas Mirza attended a royal inspection of the regular infantry in Azarbaijan to personally confer each standard to their respective corps.[32] These flags included the lion and sun motif, a date or number pertaining to the unit, and the inscription: "Sultan ibn Sultan Fath-Ali Shah Qajar" (Sultan son of Sultan Fath-Ali Shah Qajar), in reference to Abbas Mirza's title.[32] The flags and standards are further described as similar to those of the French, adorned with taffeta white streamers and golden fringes.[32] Based on Drouville's illustration, the larger flags of the regular infantry were painted red, and the flagpole was crowned by the silver Hand of Ali. The smaller standards that were prescribed to the cavalry lancers were a deep blue and featured a crouching lion brandishing a curved sword before a setting sun. These standards were topped by golden spears that were "as sharp as those of the Houlans".[33]

Illustration published by Lemercier & Cie, captioned: une revue d Abbas-Mirza, Ser-Bâz (Infanterie régulière).

An illustration by the French battle painter Joseph Louis Hippolyte Bellangé depicts Abbas Mirza reviewing Persian regular troops. The infantry corps carries a standard with a spearhead finial bearing a couchant lion and sun with a sword, similar to the cavalry flag of the Nezam lancers depicted by Drouville. However, as the work dates to 1835, two years after Abbas Mirza's death, the flag's design may be an artistic oversight.[34]

Sketch of a Qajar military drummer, infantryman and officer, including a sarbaz infantry banner from Yermolov's Collection of Notes on Persia in 1817.

In his accounts of the Russo-Persian war, Captain Yermolov, the Russian commander-in-chief in the Caucasus, documented the Iranian military in detail. One excerpt from his notes provides a vivid portrayal of a Nezam drummer, soldier, and officer carrying a Sarbaz infantry military banner dated to 1817. This banner, which shares many similarities with contemporary European regimental flags, features a lion and sun motif devoid of a sword within a white lozenge accented by a golden border. The light blue banner boasts a flagpole crowned by the silver Hand of Ali.[35]

Recreation of the regimental standards carried by the Qajar infantry corps in the painting of the Battle of Sultanabad at the Hermitage Museum.
A painting of the Iranian victory at the Battle of Sultanabad displaying the Napoleonic-style military banners held by the sarbaz infantry corps.

A painting, believed to be the work of Allahverdi Afshar between 1814 and 1817, which adorned the walls of Abbas Mirza's Ojan castle portrays the Iranian triumph at the Battle of Sultanabad on 13 February 1812. The painting exhibits Persian troops carrying banners of Napoleonic style, featuring the passant lion and sun equipped with a sword.[36]

No contemporary sources have made any other indications of a sword wielded by the lion until the reign of Mohammad Shah.[31] Nonetheless, this illustration provides valuable insight into the evolution of the emblem and its use on Iranian flags during the Qajar period.[37] However, Zoka mentions the inscription of a coin from the Urmia mint, dated 1833 (1249 AH), in which a couchant lion is depicted holding a sword. According to Zoka, these sources prove that the earliest representation of the sword-wielding lion and sun pre-dates the reign of Mohammad Shah and was likely institutionalized in the latter years of Fath-Ali Shah's reign.[37]

During Fath-Ali Shah's reign, the state flag and other flags adopted by the Iranian government purportedly opted for square or rectangular shapes over the pennon flags commonly used in earlier eras. Another distinction noted in the designs of the lion and sun depicted on coins and flags of Fath-Ali Shah's era relative to those of prior years is the appearance of the lion. Before the middle of Fath-Ali Shah's reign, a Persian lion, which is maneless and smaller in stature was prominent, whereas later depictions evolved to an African lion.[37] Towards the end of Fath-Ali Shah's reign the two common symbols of the Qajar empire were combined to include the Zulfiqar and the lion and sun in the official flag.[38]

While there is little evidence, several modern sources state that Fath-Ali Shah adopted three different state flags; a plain red flag with a couchant lion and sun motif as the war flag, a plain white flag with a couchant lion and sun for diplomatic purposes, and a green flag with a lion passant in front of the setting sun, wielding a sword during peacetime.[28][39]

Painting of the Iranian delegation to St. Petersburg. The standard-bearer is holding a white lion and sun flag, in which the lion is wielding a curved sword.

Alexis Soltykoff's Voyage en Perse includes an illustration depicting a standing lion wielding a sword. The painting is titled Entrée de l'ambassade de Perse a St. Petersbourg ('Entrance of the Persian Embassy to St. Petersburg') and shows the arrival of Mirza Abolhassan Khan Ilchi, then the Iranian ambassador to Russia, in 1838. The image features a Persian standard-bearer holding a rectangular flag with a lion passant, holding a curved sword in front of the setting sun. Atop the flagpole is the Hand of Ali finial. The painting was included in Soltykoff's book, which was published in 1851, several years after the events it depicts.[40]

French orientalist Louis Dupeux stated that one of the privileges enjoyed by the Shah of Iran was the right to "raise" several flags. Dubeux suggests that Mohammad Shah had two flags. He describes one of these flags as displaying the Zulfiqar while the other depicted a couchant lion and sun motif.[41]

The triangular banner of Mohammad Shah from the painting depicting the Battle of Ghurian.

While Iranian flags and military banners were largely uniform and similar in design by Mohammad Shah's reign, Ahmad Naqash's 1860 oil painting depicting the successful Iranian siege of the fort of Ghurian in 1837 serves as a contradictory source of information. Several noteworthy discrepancies arise. Firstly, the use of pennon banners is unusual as square and rectangular flags were more prominently used in Iran and adopted by the military at that time. Secondly, the sword-less lion and sun motif depicted in the painting is outdated. Thirdly, the white and green colour combination contradicts contemporary literature describing military banners and standards as being red or blue. According to Zoka, the painter may have relied on local designs as the work likely originated from Isfahan or Shiraz, where forts in the provinces often raised flags different from those in Tehran. Zoka also suggests that the Herat expedition's army could have reused dated standards predating the new designs.[40]

Under Nasser al-Din Shah, the principal flag was white with a green border on three sides and a lion and emblem in the centre.[42][43] There was also a naval ensign which had a red and green border and a civil ensign which looked the same as the naval ensign but without the lion and sun in the middle.[42][44]

Flags

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Post-Constitutional Revolution

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State flag of Iran (1907–1933). This flag was standardised during the constitutional monarchy era, but the main flag elements were unchanged and described in the Iranian supplementary fundamental laws of 7 October 1907.
The lion and sun flag of Iran after the constitution, its central emblem was never approved[citation needed], but it was used after the constitution, especially during the reign of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

The first version of the modern Iranian tricolour was adopted in the wake of the Iranian Constitutional Revolution of 1906.[44] The Supplementary Fundamental Laws of 7 October 1907 described the flag as a tricolour of green, white, and red, with a lion and sun emblem in the middle.[45] A decree dated 4 September 1910 specified the exact details of the emblem, including the shape of the lion's tail and the position and the size of the lion, the sword, and the sun.[2]

During this period, the colours of the flag were very pale, with the red appearing closer to pink in practice. There were three variants of the flag in use. The state flag was a tricolour with the lion and sun emblem in the centre. The national flag and civil ensign was a plain tricolour with no emblem. The naval ensign and war flag was similar to the state flag, but the emblem was surrounded by a wreath and surmounted by a crown. All three flags had a 1:3 ratio.[44]

The flag was modified twice during the Pahlavi era. In 1933, the colours of the flag were darkened and the design of the emblem was changed. The sun's facial features were removed and the Kiani Crown on the naval ensign was replaced with the Pahlavi Crown.[46] In 1964, the ratio was changed from 1:3 to 4:7 and the emblem on the naval ensign was shrunk to fit entirely within the white stripe.[47]

Following the Iranian Revolution, the Interim Government of Iran removed the crown from the naval ensign. The old state and national flags remained unchanged until 29 July 1980, when the modern Iranian flag was adopted.[48]

Historical flags

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The political Iranian diaspora use the lion and sun emblem on Iranian flags.[2]
Years Naval ensign Civil flag State flag
1736–1747
1797–1834
1834–1848
1848–1852
1852–1906
1906–1907, 1910–1933
1933–1964
1964–1979
1979–1980
1980–present

The new Iranian government viewed the Lion and Sun symbol as representing the "oppressive Westernising monarchy" that had to be replaced, despite the emblem's traditional Shi'a meanings and the lion's association with Ali, the first Imam of the Shi'a.[49] For that reason, the name of the Red Lion and Sun Society was changed to Red Crescent Society.

Lion and Sun Flag of Iran at a protest in Victoria, British Columbia, on Saturday 19 November 2022

Currently, the Lion and Sun flag is used by Iranian communities in exile as a symbol of opposition to the Islamic Republic. Some political groups in Iran, including monarchists, continue to use it as well. In Los Angeles, California and other cities with large Iranian expatriate communities, the Lion and Sun, as a distinguishing marker, appears on Iranian flags and souvenirs to an extent that far surpasses its display during the years of monarchy in its homeland,[2] where the plain tricolour was usually used. After the Islamic Revolution in Iran and the replacement of the lion and sun flag with the new flag, new designs of this flag were still presented, prominently by the People's Mujahideen of Iran.[citation needed]

See also

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^ Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran: Chapter II, Article 18: "The official flag of Iran is composed of green, white and red colours with the special emblem of the Islamic Republic, together with the motto (Allahu Akbar)."
  2. ^ a b c d Najmabadi, Afsaneh (2005), Women with Mustaches and Men without Beards: Gender and Sexual Anxieties of Iranian Modernity, University of California Press, pp. 86–88, ISBN 0-520-24262-9
  3. ^ Koch, Heidemarie 1989: Persepolis. Theran Yasavoli
  4. ^ ISIRI 1 Archived 1 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine (in Persian), 1st revision. Retrieved 19 June 2012
  5. ^ ISIRI 1 / IRANIAN ISLAMIC REPUBLIC FLAG, 1371 Archived 21 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine (in Persian), 3rd edition, March 1993. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  6. ^ Graef, Katrien De; Tavernier, Jan (7 December 2012). Susa and Elam. Archaeological, Philological, Historical and Geographical Perspectives.: Proceedings of the International Congress Held at Ghent University, December 14–17, 2009. BRILL. ISBN 978-9004207400.
  7. ^ Pittman, Holly; N.Y.), Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York (12 December 1984). Art of the Bronze Age: Southeastern Iran, Western Central Asia, and the Indus Valley. Metropolitan Museum of Art. ISBN 9780870993657.
  8. ^ Hansen, Donald P.; Ehrenberg, Erica (12 December 2017). Leaving No Stones Unturned: Essays on the Ancient Near East and Egypt in Honor of Donald P. Hansen. Eisenbrauns. ISBN 9781575060552.
  9. ^ Hakemi, Ali; Archeologiche, Istituto italiano per il Medio ed Estremo Oriente Centro Scavi e Ricerche (12 December 1997). Shahdad: archaeological excavations of a bronze age center in Iran. IsMEO. ISBN 9788120410176.
  10. ^ George Henry Preblem, The Symbols, Standards, Flags, and Banners of Ancient and Modern Nations, The Flag Research Center (1980).
  11. ^ Shahbazi, Alireza Shapur (15 December 1994). "DERAFŠ". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Vol. VII. pp. 312–315.
  12. ^ E. Pottier, Douris, London, 1909, p. 105 fig. 20, Plate XXV.b
  13. ^ O. A. Taşyürek, "Darstellungen des urartischen Gottes Haldi", in: S. Şahin, E. Schwertheim, J. Wagner (eds.), Studien zur Religion und Kultur Kleinasiens. Festschrift für Friedrich Karl Dörner, Leiden, 1978, p. 942 fig. 7; pl. CCXVIII/4–5.
  14. ^ E. F. Schmidt, Persepolis I, III, Chicago, 1953, 1970., p. 166, pls. 98, 99, 123.
  15. ^ T. Hölscher, Griechische Historienbilder des 5. und 4. Jahrhunderts v. Chr., Würzburg, 1973, pp. 122–69, 270–88.
  16. ^ Aelian, De Natura Animalium 12.21 has a legend of Achaemenes having been raised by an eagle. Ezra (18:13) has "Eagle of the East" in reference to Cyrus.
  17. ^ Īrān-Bāstān Museum, Tehran, no. 2436; Sāmī, Persepolis, tr. R. Sharp, Shiraz, 1970, fig. facing p. 100; H. Luschey, "Ein königliches Emblem", AMI 5, 1972, pp. 257–60.
  18. ^ A. Shapur Shahbazi, DERAFŠ, Encyclopedia Iranica (1994, 2011).
  19. ^ Wiesehöfer, Josef. "FRATARAKA". Encyclopædia Iranica. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  20. ^ کوپریلی، فؤاد (۱۳۷۹). «پرچم٫ ۱:تاریخچه پرچم در جهان اسلام». در حداد عادل، غلامعلی. دانشنامه جهان اسلام. ۵. تهران: بنیاد دایرةالمعارف اسلامی. بایگانی‌شده از اصلی در ۱ آوریل ۲۰۲۰.
  21. ^ a b Güzel, Hasan Celâl; Oğuz, Cem; Karatay, Osman (2002). The Turks: Middle ages. Yeni Türkiye. p. 595.
  22. ^ K. Farrokh, The Lion and Sun Motif of Iran: A brief Analysis (2009), citing S. Nafisi, Derafsh-e Iran va Shir o Khoshid [The Banner of Iran and the Lion and the Sun]. Tehran: Chap e Rangin (1949), pp. 45, 48–58; G.H. Yusofi, Farrokh e Sistani. Mashad, (1962), p. 422.
  23. ^ based on the History of Rashid-al-Din Hamadani, see Rice, D. T., & Gray, B., The Illustrations of the "World History" of Rashīd al-Dīn, Edinburgh (1967), plates 38, 44, 57, 60.
  24. ^ Shapur Shahbazi|1999|Encyclopædia Iranica
  25. ^ Hanway, Jonas (1753). "XXXVII". An Historical Account of the British Trade over the Caspian Sea: With a Journal of Travels through Russia into Persią. 248-249. London: Mr. Dodsley. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
  26. ^ "An Historical Account of the British Trade over the Caspian Sea Vol.1,2". 1753.
  27. ^ Nādir Shāh's Campaigns in 'Omān, 1737–1744 By Laurence Lockhart, Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies, University of London,Vol. 8, No. 1 (1935), pp. 157–171
  28. ^ a b "The Lion and Sun Motif of Iran: A brief Analysis". Dr. Kaveh Farrokh. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  29. ^ ببری‌دیزج, مهربان (1388). "انواع بیرق و کاربردهای آن در نتایج یک پژوهش عهد ناصری" (PDF). يام بهارستان: 908.
  30. ^ "Meine Familie – Home". 3 April 2019. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  31. ^ a b Zoka, Yahya (1344). "تاریخچه تغییرات و تحولات درفش و علامت دولت ایران از آغاز سده سیزدهم هجری قمری تا امروز" (PDF). هنر و مردم: 14.
  32. ^ a b c Drouville, Gaspard (1825). Voyage en Perse, fait en 1812 et 1813, Volume 1 (in French). Masson et Yonet. p. 116.
  33. ^ Drouville, Gaspard (1825). Voyage en Perse, fait en 1812 et 1813, Volume 1 (in French). Masson et Yonet. p. 118.
  34. ^ "Brown Digital Repository | Item | bdr:231139". repository.library.brown.edu. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  35. ^ "PERSIAN REGULAR ARMY OF THE FIRST HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY (part 1)". warfare.6te.net. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  36. ^ "The Battle of Sultanabad, Persia, 1812". warfare.6te.net. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  37. ^ a b c Zoka, Yahya (1344). "تاریخچه تغییرات و تحولات درفش و علامت دولت ایران از آغاز سده سیزدهم هجری قمری تا امروز". هنر و مردم: 15–16.
  38. ^ "Encyclopædia Iranica: FLAGS i. Of Persia". Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  39. ^ "Iranian Flag, A Brief History (English version)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  40. ^ a b Zoka, Yahya (1344). "تاریخچه تغییرات و تحولات درفش و علامت دولت ایران از آغاز سده سیزدهم هجری قمری تا امروز (2)" (PDF). هنر و مردم: 33–34.
  41. ^ Dubeux, Louis (1841). La Perse (in French). Paris: Firmin Didot frères. p. 462.
  42. ^ a b "Flags of the World: Persia (Iran) in the XIXth century". Retrieved 12 November 2010.
  43. ^ Le Gras, M. A. (1858). Album des pavillons, guidons et flammes de toutes les puissances maritimes. Paris: Dépôt des Cartes et Plans de la Marine.
  44. ^ a b c "Flags of the World: Iranian Empire (Qajar dynasty, 1905–1925)". Retrieved 10 November 2010.
  45. ^ Iran Constitution of 1906.
  46. ^ "Flags of the World: Iranian Empire (Pahlavi dynasty, 1925–1964)". Retrieved 10 November 2010.
  47. ^ "Flags of the World: Iranian Empire (Pahlavi Dynasty, 1964–1979)". Retrieved 10 November 2010.
  48. ^ "Flags of the World: Iran: Transition period (1979–1980)". Retrieved 10 November 2010.
  49. ^ Babayan, Kathryn (2002), Mystics, Monarchs, and Messiahs: Cultural Landscapes of Early Modern Iran, Harvard College, p. 491, ISBN 0-932885-28-4
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