What is the name of the Zoroastrian symbol often seen on Persian artifacts? The Faravahar is the Zoroastrian symbol often seen on Persian artifacts.
The emblem shows a human figure emerging from a winged disk, and it appears prominently in Achaemenid royal art, including reliefs and tomb monuments. It is especially associated with the monuments of rulers such as Darius the Great and Xerxes I. The symbol’s original ancient meaning, however, is not certain.
Many modern Zoroastrians interpret the figure as representing the fravashi, a protective spiritual entity, or the human soul’s moral journey. Other interpretations connect it with khvarenah, the divine royal glory believed to legitimize kingship. These interpretations should not be presented as a single universally settled explanation.
The design also has older Near Eastern roots. Winged-disk imagery existed in Assyrian and other Mesopotamian traditions before its appearance in Persian imperial art. It later became a powerful cultural emblem of Iranian identity, especially during the twentieth century, even though its use was not continuous throughout Persian history.