Mithraism is a religion that spearheads the Mazdaist god Mehr (Mithras in the West) at its helm as a purveyor of light, justice, truth, covenant, and etc. In this thread we'll analyze Mithraic symbology as it pertains to the Sun and Lion motif omnipresent in Iranian history.

Mithras has gained notoriety in the West due to the "Roman Mysteries" which many have alluded to it being a precursor of Christianity. This thread will focus more on Mithras' home and origin, (Greater) Iran, rather than any parallel in Rome, with that said, let's begin:

The sun is a key Aryan symbol whose very origins can be traced back to the Avesta. Mithra himself would go on to be known as the Sun God, and such is apparent from the ancient texts: “…first of the heavenly gods reaches over the Hara (Alborz Mountains in Iran);

before the undying swift-horsed Sun; who foremost in a golden array, takes hold of the beautiful summits, and from there looks over the abode of the Aryans with a beneficent eye." [Yasht 10, 3]

Pictured below is a Roman Mithraeum in Ostia, Italy (left), and a Kurdish man engaged in the worship of Mithra in a Pir’s (mystical leader/master) sanctuary which acts as a Mithraic temple where Iranian Kurds still worship variants of this cult to this day (right).

Note: the opening on the ceiling above Mithra allows the sun rays to “illuminate” the god. Mithra in Iranian mythology is the bringer of light and justice and a manifestation of the eternal sun, and this symbology is well apparent in the East and West.

Although the Shir o Khorshid (Sun and Lion) became popular in the post Islamic era (circa 13th century AD), its origins too can be traced back to the Achaemenid Era.

Pictured below is a cylinder of King Sausetar dated to 1450 BC. The image is that of a sun-disc resting on a base flanked by two wings, with two lions guarding at the base (left), and a possible recreation of what could have been the first flag used by the Iranian people (right).

Pictured below is Shah Artaxerxes II (reigned 404-358 BC) (left) facing the goddess Anahita, and the sun and lion (Mithra). Anahita is the mother of Mithra. Note that the sun on the relief emanates 21 rays, the exact same number of rays on the Kurdish flag.

Another testament to this being a truly Aryan symbol, is the parallels found in the most distant reaches of Greater Iran. Pictured is the relief of the lion (Mithra) slaying the bull in Persepolis,

and a golden Scythian necklace found in what is today North Ossetia (Ossetians being the descendants of the ancient Alans), almost an IDENTICAL depiction of lions attacking their prey, shown in the black rectangles.

This symbolism is also evident in a Pazyryk carpet found in Central Asia from 2,500 years ago. Note the similarities of the horse (middle), winged lion (bottom), and the "X" symbols (top), which all have a continuity with Iranian culture.

Solar/Mithraic symbology also continued into the Parthian and Sassanian eras, and even into the Islamic period.

Note Ferdowsi: "Ke chon mah Torkan bar ayad boland, ze Khorshid Iranash ayad ghazand (and when the moon of the Turks ascends, it shall be damaged by the Sun of Iran)"

An iconic depiction of Ardeshir II (center) being bestowed upon the farr (divine kingship) from Ahura Mazda (right). Below the feet of Ardeshir and Ahura Mazda are the enemies of Iran. Note the sun rays emanating from Mithra (left) as he "knights" Ardeshir.

The symbology was also preserved during the Turko-Mongol conquests. One of the most notable examples is on the Shir Dar (Lion gate) Madarasa in modern day Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Following multiple centuries of being ruled under Arabs, and then Turks and Mongols, Iran sees the dawn of a new golden age under Shah Ismail Safavid, the man who revived the Persian Empire.

As an Iranian myself, I am eternally grateful for all the Safavids did to preserve and promote Iranian culture. They synthesized Mithraic elements into Shi'ism, most notably by the flag they chose. The following paragraphs below do justice I cannot fit within 280 characters.

Note the previous tweet: it was nothing short of God's handiwork that the Ottomans (Turan) adopted a star and crescent (lunar) flag in contrast to the Safavid (Iran) lion and sun (solar) flag. Almost a complete rehashing of the stories in the Shahnameh 500 years earlier!

It is also no coincidence that the pre-Islamic Shir-e Khoda (Lion of God in Persian) is now referred to Imam Ali as Assadolla (Lion of God in Arabic). Safavids claimed to be the descendants of Imam Ali and the Sassanids, perfecting this religious and nationalist framework.

The Shir-o Khorshid also survived well into the following Zand, Afsharid, Qajar, and Pahlavi dynasties, respectively.