Zolfaghar Order

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Order of Zolfaghar of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Order of Zolfaghar in the Empire

The Zolfaghar Order ( Persian نشان ذوالفقار) is Iran's highest military honor . The order was introduced in 1856 in the Empire of Persia as an award for the commander of the faithful . The current name comes from 1925. After its abolition in 1979, the order was awarded again in 2019 for the first time.

history

The name of the order is derived from Dhū l-faqār or Zulfiqar , the famous sword of the caliph Ali , Muhammad's son-in-law. It was introduced in 1856 by the Qajar -Schah Naser al-Din Shah Qajar , to celebrate the recapture of today Afghan city of Herat . At that time the order was reserved exclusively for the Shah . The penultimate Shah Reza Shah Pahlavi set the current name in 1925 and designated the Zolfaghar Order as a purely military order.

In the course of the Islamic Revolution , the Zolfaghar order was abolished in 1979 to remove historical traces of the Persian Empire. In 2019, Major General Qasem Soleimani received the award for the first time.

insignia

Ribbon of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Ribbon of the Empire

The original order consisted of an enamelled five-pointed star, with an inscription depicting Imam Ali on a red elevation in the middle, mounted over two crossed, curved Zolfaghar swords and a ray of sunshine.

The original medal was awarded in three classes:

  • 1st class: worn with a badge and a sash
  • 2nd class: worn as a collar
  • 3rd class: worn as a medal.

The Order of the Islamic Republic is larger, simpler and more stylized. It consists of a gold eight-pointed star within a silver eight-pointed star; stylized inscriptions on the stars provide decoration and contrast.

Bearer of the order

Empire of Persia
Islamic Republic of Iran

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ EIr VII / 2, p. 197.
  2. ↑ General Soleimani receives Iran's highest Medal of Honor Tehran Times, March 11, 2019

literature

Web links