Ahura Mazda

===Sasanian Empire===
[[File:Irnp105-Grobowce Naqsh-E Rustam.jpg|thumb|300px| Ahura Mazda (on the right, with high crown) presents [[Ardashir I]] (left) with the ring of kingship. ([[Naqsh-e Rostam]], 3rd century AD)]]
[[File:Taghe bostan.JPG|right|thumb|300px|[[Investiture]] scene: [[Anahita]] on the left as the patron ''[[yazata]]'' of the [[Sasanian dynasty]] behind [[Khosrow II|Emperor Khosrow II]], with Ahura Mazda presenting the [[khvarenah]] of sovereignty on the right. [[Taq-e Bostan]], [[Iran]]]]

During the Sassanid Empire, a heretical and divergent{{sfn|Corduan|1998|p=123}}{{sfn|King|2005|p=314}}{{sfn|Whitrow|2003|p=8}} form of [[Zoroastrianism]], termed [[Zurvanism]], emerged. It gained adherents throughout the [[Sasanian Empire]], most notably the royal lineage of [[List of monarchs of the Sasanian Empire|Sasanian emperors]]. Under the reign of [[Shapur I]], Zurvanism spread and became a widespread cult.

Zurvanism revokes Zoroaster's original message of Ahura Mazda as the uncreated spirit and the "uncreated creator" of all and reduces him to a created spirit, one of two twin sons of Zurvan, their father and the primary spirit. Zurvanism also makes Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu of equal strength and only contrasting spirits.

Besides Zurvanism, the Sassanian kings demonstrated their devotion to Ahura Mazda in different fashions. Five kings took the name [[Hormizd (disambiguation)|Hormizd]] and [[Bahram II]] created the title of "Ohrmazd-mowbad", which was continued after the [[Muslim conquest of Persia]] and through Islamic times.

All devotional acts in Zoroastrianism originating from the Sassanian period begin with homage to Ahura Mazda. The five ''[[Gāh]]s'' start with the declaration in [[Middle Persian]] that "Ohrmazd is Lord" and incorporate the [[Gatha (Zoroaster)|Gathic]] verse "Whom, Mazda hast thou appointed my protector". Zoroastrian prayers are to be said in the presence of light, either in the form of fire or the sun. In the Iranian languages [[Yidgha language|Yidgha]] and [[Munji language|Munji]], the sun is still called ''ormozd''.{{Sfn|Boyce|1983|p=686}}