Faravahar facts for kids

A golden picture of the Faravahar symbol

A stone carving of the Faravahar in the ancient city of Persepolis, Iran

The Faravahar is a very famous symbol from Zoroastrianism, an ancient Iranian religion. You might also hear it called the Foruhar. People have different ideas about what the Faravahar means, and there isn't one single answer everyone agrees on. However, many believe it shows a fravashi, which is like a personal spirit or guardian angel.

The Faravahar is one of the most well-known symbols from Iran before the time of Islam. People often wear it as a necklace. Even though it started as a religious symbol, it has become a cultural symbol for all Iranians today, not just those who are religious.

What is the Faravahar?

The word Faravahar comes from ancient languages. In New Persian, it's called foruhar or faravahar. The older forms of the word, like frawahr, come from even older languages such as Old Persian and Avestan language. These words are all connected to the idea of a spirit or guardian.

History of the Faravahar Symbol

A wall carving of Ashur inside a winged disk, from around 865–850 BCE. This was found in ancient Kalhu (Nimrud), Mesopotamia.

The Faravahar symbol is very old! It actually started before Zoroastrianism. Its first use was as a "winged sun" symbol. This symbol was used by many powerful groups in the Ancient Near East, especially in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Zoroastrians later adopted this symbol. They saw it often in the art of the Neo-Assyrians. This Assyrian symbol often showed their Tree of Life and included their god Ashur inside a winged disk.

Faravahar in Zoroastrian Culture

A Faravahar carving on a coin made during the time of Wadfradad I of Persis in the 2nd century BCE.

The Faravahar was carved on the tombs of ancient Achaemenid kings. Famous kings like Darius the Great (who ruled from 522 to 486 BC) and Artaxerxes III (who ruled from 358 to 338 BC) had it on their burial places. The symbol also appeared on some coins from that time.

Even after the Arab conquest of Iran, Zoroastrianism remained a part of Iranian culture. Many festivals celebrated today, like Nowruz (Persian New Year), Mehregan, and Chaharshanbe Suri, come from Zoroastrian traditions.

In the 1900s, the Faravahar symbol started appearing in public places. It became a well-known symbol for all Iranians. The Shahnameh, Iran's national epic poem, tells stories from ancient Zoroastrian times. The tomb of Ferdowsi, the poet who wrote the Shahnameh, also has the Faravahar symbol. Many Iranians visit it every year.

It's interesting to know that the Faravahar symbol is not originally Zoroastrian or Persian. It came from Mesopotamia and Assyria, showing their winged god Ashur. After the Achaemenid Empire, the Faravahar symbol disappeared from Persian art for a long time. Later empires, like the Parthians and Sassanians, did not use it. It only reappeared in the 20th century, more than 2000 years later, thanks to a scholar named Jamshedji Maneckji Unvala.

Some experts, like Mary Boyce, believe the winged figures in ancient Persian art were not meant to be a spiritual symbol. Instead, they might have shown khvarenah, which means royal glory or divine power. This would show that kings were chosen by the gods.

Modern Use of the Faravahar

The Sun Throne, which was the imperial seat of Iran's rulers, also has designs that look like the Faravahar. The Pahlavi dynasty (who ruled Iran before 1979) used this religious and cultural symbol to represent the entire Iranian nation.

Today, in modern Zoroastrianism, one idea is that the Faravahar shows the human soul and how it grows. It can also be seen as a guide for good behavior. Another popular idea is that it represents a Fravashi, a guardian spirit. However, in ancient Zoroastrian writings, Fravashis are often described as being feminine. Many scholars think the Faravahar represents Khvarenah, which means divine power or royal glory. Even though people have different ideas about what each part of the symbol means, most of these ideas are quite new.

After the Iranian Revolution in 1979, the Lion and Sun symbol, which was on Iran's old flag, was banned. But Faravahar symbols were not removed. Because of this, the Faravahar became a national symbol for Iranians. The government allowed it, unlike the Lion and Sun. The winged disk symbol has a very long history in the ancient Near and Middle East, going back about 4000 years. It also symbolized other gods like Shamash.

Gallery

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  An Achaemenid cylinder seal.

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  A Zoroastrian tomb in Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region.

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  A stone carved Faravahar in Persepolis, Iran.

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  The Faravahar shown in the Behistun Inscription, Iran.

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  The Foroohar (Faravahar) symbol on top of the Ferdowsi mausoleum.

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  The National Bank of Iran (1946) with the Faravahar symbol.

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  The Faravahar symbol on a Fire temple in Yazd, Iran.

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  The Imperial coat of arms of Iran before the Iranian Revolution, which included the Faravahar.

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  A Faravahar carving in Persepolis, Iran.

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  The Museum of Zoroastrians in Kerman, Iran.

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  The Faravahar symbol at the top of the Suez inscriptions of Darius the Great.

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  The Faravahar on the gate of a Zoroastrian temple in Iran.