The ''Soyombo'' symbol (; mn, Соёмбо, ; from sa, svayambhu) is a special character in the

Soyombo alphabet The Soyombo script ( mn, Соёмбо бичиг, ''Soyombo biçig'') is an abugida developed by the monk and scholar Zanabazar in 1686 to write Mongolian. It can also be used to write Tibetan and Sanskrit. A special character of the script, the ...

invented by Zanabazar in 1686. The name "Soyombo" is derived from Sanskrit ''svayambhu'' "self-created". It serves as a national symbol of

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...

, to be found on the Flag of Mongolia, the

Emblem of Mongolia The State Emblem of Mongolia (, ''Mongol Ulsīn törín süld'') is used by the government of Mongolia as its symbol of state. It is officially used for example on documents such as Mongolian passports, and government and embassy placards. Desc ...

, and on many other official documents. In the Soyombo alphabet, the two variations of the Soyombo symbol are used to mark the start and end of a text. It is thought to be possible that the symbol itself may predate the script.

Symbolism

The Soyombo has ten elements in the columnar arrangement of abstract and geometric symbols and patterns. They are fire, sun, moon, two triangles, two horizontal rectangles, the ''

Taijitu In Chinese philosophy, a ''taijitu'' () is a symbol or diagram () representing Taiji () in both its monist ('' wuji'') and its dualist (yin and yang) aspects. Such a diagram was first introduced by Neo-Confucian philosopher Zhou Dunyi (; 1 ...

'' (

yin and yang Yin and yang ( and ) is a Chinese philosophical concept that describes opposite but interconnected forces. In Chinese cosmology, the universe creates itself out of a primary chaos of material energy, organized into the cycles of yin and ya ...

) and two vertical rectangles. The elements in the symbol are given the following significance (from top): * Fire is a general symbol of eternal growth, wealth, and success. The three tongues of the flame represent the past, present, and future. * Sun (●) and moon symbolizes the existence of the Mongolian nation for eternity as the eternal blue sky. Mongolian symbol of the sun, moon and fire derived from the

Xiongnu The Xiongnu (, ) were a tribal confederation of nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD. Modu Chanyu, the supreme leader after 20 ...

. * The two triangles (▼) allude to the point of an arrow or spear. They point downward to announce the defeat of interior and exterior enemies. * The two horizontal rectangles (▬) give stability to the round shape. The rectangular shape represents the honesty and justice of the people of Mongolia, whether they stand at the top or at

the bottom The Bottom (formerly ''Botte'') is the capital and largest town of the island of Saba, the Caribbean Netherlands, and is the first stop on the way from Saba's Port in Fort Bay towards the rest of the island. In 2001, it had 462 inhabitants of th ...

of society. * The ''

'' symbol (☯) illustrates the mutual complement of man and woman. It is interpreted as two fishes, symbolizing vigilance, because fish never close their eyes. * The two vertical rectangles (▮) can be interpreted as the walls of a fort. They represent unity and strength, relating to a Mongolian proverb: "The friendship of two is stronger than stone walls."

Uses

The Soyombo symbol has appeared on the national Flag of Mongolia since its independence in 1911 (except between 1940-1945). It served as the

from 1911 to 1940, and was included in the design again in 1992. Mongolian Armed Forces vehicles bear the symbol as a marking. The symbol is seen all over the country, especially on a hillside outside of

Ulaanbaatar Ulaanbaatar (; mn, Улаанбаатар, , "Red Hero"), previously anglicized as Ulan Bator, is the capital and most populous city of Mongolia. It is the coldest capital city in the world, on average. The municipality is located in north ce ...

. The flag and coat of arms of Buryatia as well as the flag of Agin-Buryat Okrug in

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

, and that of the Inner Mongolian People's Party display the top elements (Flame, Sun, and Moon).

Unicode

The Soyombo is available in

Unicode Unicode, formally The Unicode Standard,The formal version reference is is an information technology standard for the consistent encoding, representation, and handling of text expressed in most of the world's writing systems. The standard, wh ...

as {{unichar, 11A9E, SOYOMBO HEAD MARK WITH MOON AND SUN AND TRIPLE FLAME. There are alternative forms of the Soyombo at U+11A9F, 𑪟, Soyombo Head Mark With Moon And Sun And Flame and U+11AA0, 𑪠, Soyombo Head Mark With Moon And Sun. The Soyombo block was added to Unicode in June 2017 with version 10.0.

Flags incorporating Soyombo variants

File:Flag of Mongolia.svg, Flag of Mongolia File:Flag of Buryatia.svg, Flag of the Republic of Buryatia File:Flag of Agin-Buryatia.svg, Flag of Agin-Buryat Okrug File:Flag_of_the_Inner_Mongolian_People's_Party.svg, Flag of the Inner Mongolian People's Party

References

National symbols of Mongolia Mongolian writing systems

Symbolism

Uses

Unicode

Flags incorporating Soyombo variants

See also

References