Iran Flag History

The Iran Flag, standard, or as it is called in old Persian, “Derafsh”, has a long and interesting history.

The first flag found in Iran is a bronze flag that dates back to 2400 BCE.

Throughout history, the designs and descriptions of some of the flags have been recorded by historians and writers. Among those, are the famous square banner of Achaemenid Persia with the Persian falcon on it,”Derafsh Kaviani” from the Sasanians era and “Sun & Lion Flag” from the Safavid Dynasty in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Iran Flag History: Derafsh Kaviani

In the Shahname (The Book of Kings), an epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi between 977 and 1010 CE, there is a story of a blacksmith (Kaveh Ahanger) who leads an uprising against “Zahak”, the tyrant ruler and antagonist of the poem. The blacksmith puts his leather apron on a spear and “Freydon”, the good king,  covers it with a thin layer of silk, ornaments, and jewels.  This became the basics of the “Derafsh Kaviani” flag, which features a four-pointed star in the centre, representing the four corners of the world.

“Derafsh Kaviani” is a symbol of good against evil, light against darkness in the belief of Iranians. Accordingly, you see it being carried by men and women in the current uprising of Iranians against the tyrannic Islamic Republic.

But why is there something with uncanny similarity to “Derafsh Kaviani” on the British Crown? I don’t know. I guess It is for the same reason that though the lion is not native to England, it is featured on their coat of arms!

Or it is just a short square cross. After all, Britain’s monarchy is the defender of the Christian faith!

“Derafsh Kaviani” has been carried in ancient wars by Iranians. There are coins from the Fratarakā dynasty (before the Parthian dynasty) and the Sasanian era with Derafsh Kaviani engraved on them.

It is recorded in history that “Derafsh Kaviani”, with its valuable jewels, was looted and destroyed by Arab invaders at the end of the Sasanian era. (https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/derafs-e-kavian-)

Sun & Lion

The Sun and Lion is an ancient Iranian emblem that was on the Iran flag throughout various dynasties that ruled Iran until after the Islamic Revolution in 1980. It first appeared on the official flag of Iran during the Safavid Dynasty in the 16th and 17th centuries.

There are different beliefs and opinions about the background of the Lion and Sun motif in Iran.

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The State Hermitage Museum houses a historical artifact depicting the lion and sun motif of Iran. The 2400-year-old Achaemenid seal, discovered on the northeastern coast of the Black Sea, portrays King Artaxerxes II (445–359/8 BCE) facing the goddess Anahita, the deity associated with water, fertility, healing, and wisdom, who is seated upon a lion. Behind Anahita, the sun is clearly visible, representing Mehr or Mitra, the ancient Iranian deity of the sun, light, and covenant.

Some incorrect information is being spread by the Melammu project, which uses this image as its logo. They claim that, because of cross-cultural reasons that existed in the ancient world as they do today, this seal is Sumerian-inspired, carved by a Greek!

They forget that the Persians ruled that part of the map for centuries, if not thousands, during different eras since ancient times. These parts of the world that modern powers call Mesopotamia, the Middle East, the Near East or the new country Iraq (depending on the politics of the day) have an undeniable, connected history that, even if they like to ignore it, is related to and mostly dominated by Persia.

A stamped brick found in Ur and currently housed in the British Museum dates back to the era of Cyrus the Great. https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/W_1923-1110-221

The Sun is the source of life and has always been portrayed as a beautiful, round, smiling female face in Iranian drawings. “Khurshid” is the Farsi word for sun, alongside Anahita and Mitra, which are names for daughters in Persian/Parsi/Farsi.

And the Persian Lion, which is native to ancient Persia (Middle East) has always been portrayed as a symbol of power even in captivity.

“The Lion and Sun Motif” by Dr. Kaveh Farrokh presents a brief analysis of the motif and Iran Flag History, which I find very informative.

P.S. This post is written in remembrance of Majid Reza Rahnavard and Mohammad Hosseini. The murderous Islamic Republic regime executed them in December 2022 and January 2023, respectively. Their crime was choosing their true Iranian identity over the identity that the Islamic regime forced on them for the last 43 years of invading Iran.

The Instagram profile (osima_370) belonged to Mohammad Hosseini.