Serious Damage to Over 56 Museums and Historical Sites in Iran
WANA (Mar 14) – The Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts of Iran has once again condemned the military attacks by the U.S. and Israel on the country’s historical sites and announced that, as a result of this military aggression, at least 56 museums, historical buildings, and cultural sites in various provinces across the country have sustained serious damage.
In an official statement issued today, Saturday, March 14, 2026, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts strongly condemned the recent attacks by the U.S. and Israeli regimes on Iran’s historical and cultural heritage.
The statement expressed deep sorrow and disgust, declaring that following the recent military aggression by the criminal U.S. regime and its ally, the illegitimate and Israeli regime, at least 56 museums, historical buildings, and cultural sites in various provinces across the country were directly targeted and suffered structural and significant damage.
“This barbaric act is described as a crime against the identity, historical memory, and soul of a nation, causing an irreparable blow to the shared heritage of humanity,” The statement noted.
The statement emphasized: “The enmity of the “child-killing enemy” against Iran and Iranians has now been made clear to the world, and the great ambiguity facing our nation is the silence and unjustifiable behavior of international institutions in the face of these inhuman and anti-civilization crimes by Iran’s enemies.”
“Today’s history will serve as a lesson for future generations to never trust enemies and to transform independence into the internal culture of the nation.”
A view of debris at the historical monument Golestan Palace following an Israeli and U.S. strike on the Justice Building in the area, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 3, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)
The statement further emphasized: Tehran, as the political and cultural heart of Iran, tops the list of this crime, with 19 affected sites. Unmatched landmarks such as Golestan Palace, Tehran’s Historic Citadel, Tehran Bazaar, Marble Palace, Historical Police Headquarters, Former Senate Building, Sepahsalar Mosque, and Farahabad Palace-Museum were among the buildings that came under direct attack.
The statement continued by detailing the extent of the damages in other provinces:
- In Kurdistan, 12 significant buildings, including the Salar Saeed Mansion (Sanandaj Archaeological Museum), Khosrowabad Museum, and Assef Vaziri Mansion, were damaged.
- In Isfahan, the world-renowned Naqsh-e Jahan Square, which is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with Chehel Sotoun Palace, Abbasi Mosque, and parts of the historic fabric of the city of Isfahan, were targeted.
- In Lorestan, the Falak-ol-Aflak Castle and its museums were damaged.
- In Kermanshah, the Beiglerbegi Tekiyeh and the historic Kazazi School were hit.
- In Bushehr, the Sabzehabad Mansion and the historic White House in Siraf Port were damaged, while in Ilam, the Dasht-e Shahr Archaeological Museum was also affected.
Airstrike Damages Isfahan’s Heritage Sites
WANA (Mar 10) – An airstrike on the Isfahan Governor’s Office by the U.S. and Israel on Monday afternoon caused significant damage to the city’s historic fabric and valuable cultural heritage, particularly the Safavid-era government complex. Seyed Ruhollah Seyedalaskari, Deputy Director of the Isfahan Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization, told local media that […]
The Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts emphasized that these attacks represent a clear example of crimes against culture and cultural heritage, actions that are among the most serious international crimes and a form of deliberate sabotage against humanity’s shared heritage.
The legal section of the statement highlighted that, according to the provisions of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, particularly Articles 4 and 19, which require the protection of cultural property even in internal conflicts, and the 1972 UNESCO Convention for the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, especially Article 6, which obligates member states to respect world heritage, and UN Security Council Resolution 2347 (2017), which condemns the destruction of cultural heritage as a criminal act, military attacks on cultural and historical sites in Iran represent a clear violation of international commitments and are an evident crime against the heritage of humanity.
The statement continued, noting that the Islamic Republic of Iran, as the custodian and heir of these civilizational treasures, has officially filed its protest through diplomatic and legal channels to relevant international bodies, including UNESCO, ICOMOS, and the United Nations, and has called upon all Iranians, both inside and outside the country, to join efforts in pursuing this crime through international legal and judicial authorities.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage called upon the global conscience, intellectuals, artists, and free nations of the world to speak out against this attack on the roots of human civilization. It emphasized: “A world that remains silent in the face of the destruction of cultures and identities has, in fact, consented to the establishment of a violent order and the destruction of human values.”
Iran Marks 120+ Museums and Historic Sites with Blue Shield for Protection
WANA (Mar 10) – Mohsen Tousi, Director General for Preservation, Restoration, and Rehabilitation of Historic Monuments, Textures, and Sites at Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization, announced that more than 120 museums and several historic buildings across Iran have been marked with the Blue Shield symbol to safeguard valuable cultural and historical assets. […]
In conclusion, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts stated that it has utilized all domestic expert resources to monitor the damages and, as soon as this aggression ends, will implement a comprehensive “Identity Rebuilding and Emergency Restoration” plan for the affected sites, relying on indigenous knowledge and involving academics, researchers, and specialists from the country.
The statement ended by reaffirming: “Iranian identity is an everlasting heritage; a heritage that will never be erased from the memory of history.”
