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2016-04-21

Iran Flag History

By Linda Tompson


Ancient Iran, also known as Persia, historic region of southwestern Asia that is only roughly coterminous with modern Iran. The term Persia was used for centuries, chiefly in the West, to designate those regions where Persian language and culture predominated, but it more correctly refers to a region of southern Iran formerly known as Persia.

The discovery of oil in the early 20th century generated international interest in the nation, particularly Great Britain and Russia. A 1907 Anglo-Russian agreement divvied up Iran into spheres of influence though it was later annulled after the First World War.

The First inhabitants of Iran were a race of people living in western Asia. When the Aryans arrived, they gradually started mingling with the old native Asians. Aryans were a branch of the people today known as the Indo-Europeans, and are believed to be the ancestors of the people of present India, Iran, and most of Western Europe. In 1979, the nation, under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini, erupted into revolution and the current Islamic republic of Iran was founded.

The flag of Iran was formally approved as the national flag on July 29, 1980. The flag of Iran reflects the changes that the Islamic Revolution brought in the country. The colors used in the Iranian flag date back to the period when the Shahs dominated the country. Green is a symbol of Islam and also represents hope and aspirations for a better future; white is a traditional symbol of peace; while red stands for the courage that the Iranians cherish.

Flags, standards, and banners have always been important national and imperial symbols for Iranians, both in war and peace. The best-known symbol of Iran in recent centuries has been the Lion and Sun motif, which is a graphic expression of the astrological configuration of the sun in the sign of Leo, although both celestial and animal figures have long and independent histories in Iranian heraldry. Late in the nineteenth century, the Lion and Sun motif was combined with an earlier scimitar motif and superimposed on a tricolour of green, white, and red. With minor modifications, this remained the official flag until the revolution of 1979.

The Iranian flag's centerpiece formerly consisted of a lion with a sword standing before a rising sun, with a crown above. But all traditional flags and banners were abolished after the abdication of the shah in 1979. The new emblem was designed by Hamid Nadimi and was officially approved by Ayatollah Khomeini on May 9, 1980. The Flag Company Inc specialized in flag designs offered a special edition of decals and flags to memorize the history of Iran Flag for the future.




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