Order of Aftab

The Order of Aftab (Persian: نشان آفتاب, romanized: Neshan-e Aftab), also known as the Order of the Sun, was a decoration founded by Naser al-Din Shah Qajar, the Shah of Iran, in February 1873, before his first visit to various European states. The order came in two classes, the first class restricted to female sovereigns or consorts of reigning rulers and the second class to princesses and ladies of high rank, and those deserving of special recognition or signs of conspicuous appreciation by the Shah. In 1967, during the reign of Mohammad Reza Shah, the statutes governing the order were revised. The changes included renaming it the Order of Aryamehr, redesigning its insignia, and revising the eligibility criteria for receiving the order.