The Structural and Symbolic Features of Iranian Tugh

Tugh came to Iran as a flag from Central Asia and has then been used in military establishment and religious communities, especially in Muharram rituals. Its form, symbolic content and inscriptions were changed in the Safavid era and became distinctive from its non-Iranian versions. So, it has been depicted as a plant surrounded by two or more dragons which are the main aspects of Iranian art. Since late 11th century a thin blade of steel with a design of floral motifs and a delicate lattice work has been replaced with the former thick brass one. Several decades later, lattice-work inscriptions, decorated with delicate arabesque replaced the latter one. Making Iranian Tugh continued until the early Qajar period .It is suggested that Iranian Tugh is in fact a symbol of a vegetable element which is probably seen in the mythologies and symbols of the home of Iranian art . It has been also seen in the symbols of the ancient China and Mediterranean lands that can be recognized as the symbol of life tree and its guardian.