Flags of Iran

Flag of Cyrus the Great and Achaemenid Persia, 550 BC

The first flag of Iran was likely introduced by the father of Iran; Cyrus the Great. The picture above is the standard of Cyrus the Great. Xenophon had also seen the flag and he said: 

"...and the word went down the lines, "Eyes on the standard and steady marching!". The standard was a golden eagle, with outspread wings, borne aloft on a long spear-shaft, and to this day such is the standard of the Persian king."

(Xenophon: Cyropaedia, Book VII, C.1)

Safavid Empire, 1502 - 1514

Flag of Shah Ismail I, the founder of the Safavid Empire. His flag was green with a with a yellow moon on top. 

Safavid Empire 1524 - 1576

Flag of Tahmasb I who was crowned at the age of 10. The sheep and sun emblem is very similar to the lion and sun emblem.  

Safavid Empire, 1576 - 1736

Flag of the Safavid Empire from the reign of Ismail II and the rest of the Safavid kings. The lion and sun emblem had replaced the sheep and sun, and the ancient symbol of the lion and the sun was going to have its place on the Iranian flag for the next 403 years.  

Nader Shah & the Afsharid Dynasty, 1736 - 1750

The flag of Nader Shah. The lion and sun emblem had remained, but the background was yellow with red borders. Nader Shah became famous due to his military genius, and he expanded Iranian influence all the way to North India.

Zand Dynasty, 1750 - 1794

The flag of Karim Khan Zand, the founder of the Zand dynasty, was triangular with the lion and sun emblem in the middle.

Mohamad Khan Qajar, 1794

The flag of Mohamad Khan Qajar, the founder of the Qajar Dynasty. The lion and sun emblem had changed, and the lion was carrying a sword. 

Fath Ali Shah, 1797

The Flag of Fath Ali Shah, the Nephew of Mohamad Khan Qajar. The Iranian kings had used the sun and lion emblem for 221 years. Fath Ali Shah had two other flags that he used:

This was the peace flag of Iran. Unfortunately he did not use this flag to much during his reign.

This was the war flag of Iran. Fath Ali Shah used this flag in the disastrous wars against Russia which ended with the treaty of Gulistan in 1813 and the treaty of Turkemchay in 1828. 

Nasser e-Din Shah, 1848

This flag was designed by Amir Kabir. The lion and sun emblem remained, but the light green and red bands were added, paving the way for what was going to be the the future flags of Iran. It was also during this period that the first national anthem of Iran (the Lemaire March) was made by the French military-musician Alfred Jean Baptiste Lemaire.

Mozaffar e-Din Shah, Late 1800

This was a common design of the Iranian flag during the reign of Mozaffar e-Din Shah in the late 19th Century.

During the Constitutional Revolution, 1905

This flag was used during the Constitutional Revolution (1905 - 1911) in Iran. This was the last flag to be used before the introduction of the horizontal tricolor flag founded by Amir Kabir 57 years prior. 

Post Constitutional Revolution, 1911

The flag of Iran after the constitutional revolution in 1911. Each color had its symbolic significance. The green color symbolized the Islamic faith of the Iranian people. The white color symbolized peace and the ancient Zoroastrian heritage of the Iranian people. The red color symbolized the blood sacrificed by all martyrs who fought for their beloved fatherland, Iran.

Pahlavi Dynasty, 1925

The flag of Iran during the Pahlavi dynasty. The colors of the flag were darkened. The flag continued a long tradition of using the lion and sun emblem for 403 years. 

Islamic Republic of Iran, 1979

The flag of Iran has undergone significant changes since the revolution and the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979. The colors are the same as the Pahlavi flag, but the green and red colors are all embroidered with "God is Great" in Arabic, and the lion and sun emblem is substituted by the coat of arms of the Islamic Republic.