Lion and Sun
an element in Iran's national flag
The Lion and Sun is one of the main emblems of Iran (historically Persia) and was a central element in Iran's national flag until the 1979 Islamic revolution. It remains widely used by Iranian nationalists and opposition groups to the Islamic Republic government.
A version of the Lion and Sun that features a sun half-hidden behind a lion appears for the first time in the Book of Nativities written by Albumasar, with illustrations by the Persian artist Qanbar ʿAli Shirazi in the 14th century. However, the Lion and Sun symbol was used in pre-Islamic times, prior to the Achaemenid dynasty, while the sun was used on the standards, flags, and banners of pre-Achaemenid times. The secular origins of the Lion and Sun trace back to pre-Islamic Persian astronomy and astrology, symbolising the sun in the Leo constellation. The Lion and Sun motif gained widespread popularity following the advent of Islam, appearing frequently on coins, metalwork, tiles, and miniature paintings throughout Iran, Central Asia, and India.
Origin
The Lion and Sun motif is based largely on secular astronomical and astrological configurations, and the ancient zodiacal sign of the sun in the house of Leo. The earliest evidence of the Lion and Sun symbol predates the Achaemenid dynasty. However, this symbol became a popular symbol in the 12th century. According to Afsaneh Najmabadi, the Lion and Sun motif has had "a unique success" among icons for signifying the modern Iranian identity, in that the symbol is influenced by all significant historical cultures of Iran and brings together Zoroastrian, Shia, Jewish, Iranian symbolism.
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Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 19, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3182327. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1979.
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This entry incorporates text from “Lion and Sun” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.