The Sun Symbol and Its Associated Concepts in Mesopotamian Art and Myths

The design of the sun, as one of the traditional symbols, has always been the centre of attention since the ancient time. The sun has been represented in various forms, including four-winged stars and humanoid shapes, in the art works survived from the Mesopotamia civilization. During the Babylonian civilization, the Sun-God symbol glittered at the head of Hammurabi Tablet. It was also the symbol of the Assyrian kingdom in the form of a winged globe. Sometimes, this symbol adorned the necklace of the kings. In Persian his-torical inscriptions, the Sun-God symbol has been named as outou, shamas or shamash. The present article aimed to examine and classify various solar sym-bols used in myths and art works of Mesopotamian civilizations (Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian and Assyrian) in terms of function and concept. The results showed that such symbols did not merely meet a decorative function but rather symbolized a religious concept as well rooted in mythical and di-vine beliefs. In fact, such symbols were used as elaborate amulets. This article is descriptive in nature and the data were collected based on library sources.