UNESCO warns Iran war threatens priceless world heritage sites

The United Nations’ cultural agency has raised alarm over damage to several heritage sites in Iran, as reported by Al-Monitor on March 11th.

This comes following the outbreak of the US–Israeli war against Iran, warning that some of the country’s most significant historical landmarks have already been affected.

UNESCO said four of Iran’s 29 World Heritage sites have been damaged since hostilities began, including Tehran’s historic Golestan Palace, a 19th-century royal complex often compared to Palace of Versailles. According to Lazare Eloundou Assomo, director of the World Heritage Centre, early images show parts of the palace interior littered with shattered glass and broken woodwork following strikes in the Iranian capital. The full extent of the damage has not yet been determined.

“UNESCO is deeply concerned by the first impact that the hostilities are already having on many World Heritage sites,” Assomo said, adding that the agency is also monitoring potential threats to cultural landmarks across the wider Middle East.

Golestan Palace is considered one of Iran’s most important historical sites. Built during the Qajar dynasty in the 19th century, it served as a royal residence and seat of power, blending traditional Persian architecture with European design influences. The palace was also the site of the coronation ceremony of Iran’s last monarch, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, in 1969.

Elsewhere, UNESCO said damage had been reported near heritage areas in the historic city of Isfahan, including the surroundings of the Masjed-e Jame, a mosque more than 1,000 years old that reflects centuries of Islamic architectural development. The agency also reported damage to buildings near the protected buffer zone of the Khorramabad Valley prehistoric sites, which contain archaeological remains dating back thousands of years.

UNESCO said it has shared the coordinates of key cultural sites with all parties involved in the conflict in an effort to prevent further destruction. The organisation is continuing to monitor the situation and has called on combatants to respect international conventions protecting cultural heritage during war.

Assomo said safeguarding historical landmarks was essential to preserving the shared cultural legacy of the region. “We are calling for the protection of all sites of cultural significance,” he said.

Al-Monitor, Maghrebi.org