What is the name of the Zoroastrian winged symbol?

The Faravahar is the name of the prominent winged symbol associated with Zoroastrianism. It is usually shown as a winged disk with a human figure, and it appears widely in modern Zoroastrian and Iranian cultural imagery.

The design has much older Near Eastern roots than the modern label suggests. Related winged-disk imagery appeared in ancient Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Assyrian art, and versions of the symbol were used in the Achaemenid Empire. It appears on royal monuments, including those connected with Persian kings such as Darius the Great.

Its meaning is not universally agreed. Many modern Zoroastrians interpret it as representing the fravashi or a person’s spiritual nature, while many scholars connect the royal figure with khvarenah, divine glory or royal fortune. The symbol also became a broader Iranian cultural emblem, especially during the twentieth century, so it should not be confused with a uniquely fixed picture of Ahura Mazda.