Pahlavi Alphabet

The Pahlavi Alphabet was used to write several Middle Iranian languages, including Middle Persian, Parthian, and Sogdian. It developed from the Aramaic script around the 2nd century BC and was used for many centuries across the Persian Empire. The alphabet contained around 22 letters and was written from right to left. Because it evolved from a consonantal script, some letters represented multiple sounds, making it challenging to read without context.

The Pahlavi script played a major role during the Sassanian Empire, where it was used in royal inscriptions, religious texts, and official documents. Several forms of the script existed, such as Inscriptional Pahlavi, Book Pahlavi, and Psalter Pahlavi, each serving different purposes and regions. Over time, it was replaced by the Arabic script after the Islamic conquest of Persia, but its influence can still be seen in Persian writing traditions.

Today, the Pahlavi alphabet is studied mainly by historians and linguists who explore the cultural and linguistic history of ancient Iran. It stands as a symbol of Persia’s literary and administrative sophistication and marks an important stage in the development of written Persian.