Zoroastrian symbols

thumb|Rendition of the Faravahar, as imagined since the Median kingdom|Median Kingdom thumb|Relief depicting the Faravahar in the city of [[Persepolis, which served as the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire]]

Atar () is the Zoroastrian concept of holy fire, sometimes described in abstract terms as "burning and unburning fire" or "visible and invisible fire" (Mirza, 1987:389). It is considered to be the visible presence of Ahura Mazda and his Asha through the eponymous Yazata. The rituals for purifying a fire are performed 1,128 times a year.