Flag of Iran
This article possibly contains original research. (June 2020) |
Proportion | 4:7 (de jure) (see below) |
---|---|
Adopted | 7 October 1907 (original version, 1:3 ratio) 1964 (4:7 ratio) 29 July 1980 (current version) |
Design | A horizontal tricolor 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. |
Designed by | Hamid Nadimi |
The
Many Iranian exiles opposed to the Iranian government as well as Iranian nationalists use the Iranian monarchy tricolour flag with the Lion and Sun at the center,[2][page needed] or the tricolour without additional emblems.
Flag description
Emblem
The parliament of Iran, per the 1980 constitution, changed the flag and seal of state insofar as the
Kufic script
Written in white and repeated eleven times on the inner edges of each the green and the red band is the phrase
Colours
The colours of the Iranian flag are traditional, probably dating from at least the 18th century, and they can be interpreted as representing the
Colours scheme
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
Physical requirements for the Iranian flag, a simple construction sheet, and a
History
Flags, standards, and banners have always been important national and imperial symbols for 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.[citation needed]
The best-known symbol of Iran in recent centuries has been the
Prehistory
The oldest flag found in Iran is the
Achaemenid empire
The Old Persian word for "banner, standard" was drafša- (
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.[13] A similar design is known from an Urartian bronze disk from Altıntepe.[14] Similar square plaques on poles are known from six of the audience scenes of the Throne Hall relief at Persepolis.[15] The Alexander Mosaic of Pompeii, a Roman-era copy of a Hellenistic painting dated c. 320 BCE, also shows the royal Persian standard.,[16] 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 or "glory", while the eagle was associated with the Achaemenid dynasty itself.[17]
A square tile representing a miniature (12 cm2) banner was discovered at Persepolis in 1948.[18] 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.[19]
Sassanid empire
In
Seljuk Empire
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.[21] This black flag was traditionally presented to the Seljuk sovereigns by the Abbasid caliphs.[22]
A yellow flag was also used to denote Seljuk sovereignty over a town.[22]
The Turkic
Safavid dynasty
The
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 (
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.
Flags
Flag of Safavid dynasty under Ismail I (1501–1524)
Flag of Safavid dynasty under Tahmasp I (1524–1576)
Flag of Safavid dynasty after Ismail II (1576–1732)
Afsharid dynasty
Nader Shah consciously avoided the using the colour green, as green was associated with Shia Islam and the Safavid dynasty.[25]
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.[26][27]
Navy Admiral flag being a white ground with a red Persian Sword in the middle.[28] Although based on the writings of Jonas Hanway, we can see that the flags of the army regiments of King Nader were three-eared, but we cannot come to a conclusion about whether the royal flags of that time were three-eared or four-eared.
Flags
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.[29] Another version included the same design but with green and red.
Flags
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
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.[30] 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.[31] Although the painting may belong to members of the Qajar family, no other source has confirmed the prevalence of such a flag during Agha Mohammad Khan's reign. Additionally, the prominence of pennon or triangular flags during this time questions the accuracy of the square flag.
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.[32]
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.[33] 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.[33] The flags and standards are further described as similar to those of the French, adorned with taffeta white streamers and golden fringes.[33] 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".[34]
The depiction of a sword-wielding lion on a blue-coloured flag in Drouville's book is a noteworthy observation, as it represents an early instance of the lion and sun emblem associated with a sword. Drouville's travels to Iran took place between 1812 and 1813, but his book was not published until 1825. This leaves open the question of when exactly the flag evolved to include the sword-wielding lion and sun motif.
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.[35]
In his accounts of the Russo-Persian war,
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.[37]
No contemporary sources have made any other indications of a sword wielded by the lion until the reign of Mohammad Shah.[32] Nonetheless, this illustration provides valuable insight into the evolution of the emblem and its use on Iranian flags during the Qajar period.[38] 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.[38]
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.[38] 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.[39]
While there is little evidence, several modern sources state that
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.[41]
French orientalist Louis Dubeux 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.[42]
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.[41]
Under
All flags had a 3:4 ratio.
Flags
Post-Constitutional Revolution
The first version of the modern Iranian tricolour was adopted in the wake of the
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.[45]
The flag was modified twice during the
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.[50]
Historical flags
Years | Naval ensign | Civil flag | State flag |
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1736–1747 |
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1797–1834 |
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1834–1848 |
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1848–1852 |
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1852–1906 |
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1906–1907, 1910–1933 |
|
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1933–1964 |
|
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1964–1979 |
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1979–1980 |
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1980–present |
|
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The new Iranian government viewed the Lion and Sun symbol as representing the "oppressive
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
See also
- Emblem of Iran
- Imperial Standards of Iran
- Lion and Sun
- Flag of Kurdistan
- Flag of Tajikistan
- List of flags used by Iranian peoples
- List of Iranian flags
- Flags of the Islamic Republic of Iran Armed Forces
References
Citations
- 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)."
- ^ ISBN 0-520-24262-9
- ^ "Tehran Municipality honors Islamic Revolution artists". Tehran Times. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
- ^ Koch, Heidemarie 1989: Persepolis. Theran Yasavoli
- ^ ISIRI 1 Archived 1 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine (in Persian), 1st revision. Retrieved 19 June 2012
- ^ 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.
- ISBN 978-9004207400– via Google Books.
- ISBN 9780870993657– via Google Books.
- ISBN 9781575060552– via Google Books.
- ISBN 9788120410176– via Google Books.
- ^ George Henry Preblem, The Symbols, Standards, Flags, and Banners of Ancient and Modern Nations, The Flag Research Center (1980).
- Encyclopaedia Iranica, Vol. VII, Fasc. 3, pp. 312–315.
- ^ E. Pottier, Douris, London, 1909, p. 105 fig. 20, Plate XXV.b
- ^ 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.
- ^ E. F. Schmidt, Persepolis I, III, Chicago, 1953, 1970., p. 166, pls. 98, 99, 123.
- ^ T. Hölscher, Griechische Historienbilder des 5. und 4. Jahrhunderts v. Chr., Würzburg, 1973, pp. 122–69, 270–88.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- Encyclopedia Iranica(1994, 2011).
- ^ Wiesehöfer, Josef. "FRATARAKA". Encyclopædia Iranica. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Güzel, Hasan Celâl; Oğuz, Cem; Karatay, Osman (2002). The Turks: Middle ages. Yeni Türkiye. p. 595.
- ^ 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.
- 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.
- ^ Shapur Shahbazi|1999|Encyclopædia Iranica
- ^ 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.
- ^ "An Historical Account of the British Trade over the Caspian Sea Vol.1,2". 1753.
- ^ 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
- ^ a b "The Lion and Sun Motif of Iran: A brief Analysis". Dr. Kaveh Farrokh. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
- ^ ببریدیزج, مهربان (1388). "انواع بیرق و کاربردهای آن در نتایج یک پژوهش عهد ناصری" (PDF). يام بهارستان: 908.
- ^ "Meine Familie - Home". 3 April 2019. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c Drouville, Gaspard (1825). Voyage en Perse, fait en 1812 et 1813, Volume 1 (in French). Masson et Yonet. p. 116.
- ^ Drouville, Gaspard (1825). Voyage en Perse, fait en 1812 et 1813, Volume 1 (in French). Masson et Yonet. p. 118.
- ^ "Brown Digital Repository | Item | bdr:231139". repository.library.brown.edu. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
- ^ "PERSIAN REGULAR ARMY OF THE FIRST HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY (part 1)". warfare.tk. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
- ^ "The Battle of Sultanabad, Persia, 1812". warfare.6te.net. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Encyclopædia Iranica: FLAGS i. Of Persia". Retrieved 12 November 2010.
- ^ "Iranian Flag, A Brief History (English version)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2010.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Dubeux, Louis (1841). La Perse (in French). Paris: Firmin Didot frères. p. 462.
- ^ a b "Flags of the World: Persia (Iran) in the XIXth century". Retrieved 12 November 2010.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c "Flags of the World: Iranian Empire (Qajar dynasty, 1905–1925)". Retrieved 10 November 2010.
- ^ Iran Constitution of 1906.
- ^ Najmabadi (2005), p. 86.
- ^ "Flags of the World: Iranian Empire (Pahlavi dynasty, 1925–1964)". Retrieved 10 November 2010.
- ^ "Flags of the World: Iranian Empire (Pahlavi Dynasty, 1964–1979)". Retrieved 10 November 2010.
- ^ "Flags of the World: Iran: Transition period (1979–1980)". Retrieved 10 November 2010.
- ^ Najmabadi (2005), pp. 87–88.
- ISBN 0-932885-28-4