The Emblem of Iran was made after the Islamic Revolution in that country, in 1979. After the revolution, Iran decided to use a new flag. The old flag had a picture of a golden lion and a sabre, that was a symbol for the Shah (king) of Iran. This emblem is a symbol for the whole country and the Islamic character of the new government. It is drawn to look like a version of the word الله which means "God" in the Arabic language, which is not the official language in Iran. It looks like a tulip, which is an old symbol for Iran.