Faravahar

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The Farāvahār (Avestan: 𐬟𐬀𐬭𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬵𐬀𐬭𐬀; Persian: فَرْوَهَر), also called the Foruhār (فروهر) or the Fārre Kiyâni (فر کیانی),^[1] is one of the most prominent symbols of Zoroastrianism. There is no universal consensus on what it means or stands for, as a variety of interpretations exist. The most common belief is that it depicts the fravaṣ̌i (𐬟𐬭𐬀𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬴𐬌), which is the Zoroastrian concept of one's personal spirit.^[2][3]

Rooted in ancient Near Eastern tradition, the Faravahar was especially prevalent in the Achaemenid Empire, correspondingly appearing in many works of Achaemenid architecture. Although it is originally religious in nature, it has become a secular and cultural symbol among non-Zoroastrian Iranian peoples, having been popularized in this capacity after the Arab conquest of Iran.^[4][5]

More recently, the Faravahar and other aspects of the Zoroastrian religion were at the forefront of a campaign by the Pahlavi dynasty to revive the pre-Islamic Iranian identity. Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, it has remained a popular symbol among the Iranian diaspora.