WANA (Mar 15) – Parts of the Qasr Garden Museum in Tehran were damaged following repeated attacks on nearby military and police facilities by U.S. and Israeli forces, according to local officials.

 

The blast waves from the explosions caused damage to sections of the Public Museum building, a historic structure designed by Russian architect Nikolai Markov in 1929, as well as the Political Prison Museum building, constructed in 1950. Both structures require inspection and restoration.

 

Nasser Ghasemi, director of Qasr Garden Museum, said the site suffered damage due to explosions in surrounding areas but did not sustain serious structural harm.

 

“The recent attacks by the United States and Israel in nearby areas and the shockwaves from the blasts caused damage to the complex, but fortunately, the damage was not severe,” Ghasemi said.

 

He noted that most of the damage affected non-historic and auxiliary parts of the complex, while the main historical structures remained intact. The primary damage involved broken windows and glass panels, as well as collapsed false ceilings, all of which are repairable.

 

Ghasemi said authorities immediately reported the incident to the relevant bodies. Inspection teams visited the site, and all sections of the complex—including halls and prison cells—were documented and filmed. Shrapnel fragments and other remnants were collected as evidence.

 

Assessments of the total damage are still ongoing, he added, although preliminary estimates have been made.

 

Emergency measures have also been taken to prevent further damage. Arrangements are underway to replace exterior windows quickly to protect the building from potential future impacts.

 

Originally built as a royal palace during the Qajar era under Fath-Ali Shah, the complex was later converted during the Pahlavi period into Iran’s first modern prison in 1929 under the orders of Reza Shah, with design by Nikolai Markov. The prison held criminals and many political prisoners for decades.

 

After closing in 2003, the site was transformed into the Qasr Garden Museum in 2012. The complex was listed on Iran’s National Heritage List in 1996.