Emblem of Iran
| Emblem of the Islamic Republic نشان ملی جمهوری اسلامی ایران | |
|---|---|
| Armiger | Islamic Republic |
| Alternative name(s) | Persian: نشان رسمی, romanised: Nishân Rasmi, lit. 'Formal emblem' |
| Adopted | 9 May 1980 |
| Shield | Arabic word "Allah" |
| Designer | Hamid Nadimi |
The emblem of the Islamic Republic of Iran, also known as Nishan Rasmi, consists of four crescents and a sword, surmounted by a shadda. The emblem was designed by Hamid Nadimi, and was officially approved by Ruhollah Khomeini, the first supreme leader, on 9 May 1980.
| Lion and Sun شیر و خورشید | |
|---|---|
| Relinquished | 1979 |
| Use | Former emblem of Iran, former flag of Iran, symbol of the Iranian opposition |
The four curves, surmounted by the shadda, are a stylised representation of the Arabic word "Allah" (الله). The five parts of the emblem also symbolise the Principles of Shia Islam. The shape of the Arabic text is chosen to resemble a tulip to represent the fallen: it is an ancient belief in Iran, dating back to mythology, that if a young soldier dies patriotically, a red tulip will grow on his grave. In recent years, it has been considered the symbol of martyrdom. It is also engraved in the centre of the flag of the Islamic Republic.
The logo is encoded in Unicode at code point U+262B ☫ FARSI SYMBOL in the Miscellaneous Symbols range. In Unicode 1.0 this symbol was known as "SYMBOL OF IRAN". However, the current name for the character was adopted as part of Unicode's merger with ISO/IEC 10646.
Prior to the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the emblem of Iran was the Lion and Sun — a symbol which continues to be used by nationalists and the diaspora, as well as by opposition groups to the Islamic Republic. Display of the emblem is strictly forbidden within the country under the ruling government, with harsh punishments being afforded to those who display it.