The Silent Tragedy of Iran’s Cultural Heritage
According to official reports from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, from the early hours of April 1 to April 13, 2026, more than 130 historical sites across 18 provinces of the country were damaged due to military attacks by the United States and Israel.
Tehran suffered the highest level of damage, and provinces such as Isfahan, Khuzestan, Fars, and Kermanshah were also affected. Additionally, 65 educational centers and 33 medical facilities were damaged, indicating widespread destruction of the country’s cultural and human infrastructure. UNESCO has expressed concern and emphasized the necessity of protecting cultural heritage as a shared asset of humanity.
Isfahan
Naqsh-e Jahan Square, Jameh Mosque, Ali Qapu Palace, Chehel Sotoun Palace, and other sites including the Novin Spinning factory, Maryam Begum Mosque, and Saadi High School.
Kurdistan
Habibi House and collection of historical buildings including Salar Saeed mansion, Asaf Vaziri house, Khosroabad mansion, Malek-al-tojar mansion, traditional merchant houses, historic mosques, bathhouses, and old reservoirs.
Kermanshah
Abu Torab Mosque, Biglar Beigi Tekyeh, Kazzazi School, and Souri House.
Bushehr
Historic buildings including Sitar Abad mansion and Vahab House.
Fars
Fatemeh Al-Zahra Cultural Center (Old Municipality)
Gilan
Mian Poshteh Palace, Bandar Anzali (Naval Museum)
Hamadan
Tomb of Baba Taher
Zanjan
Azam Hosseiniyeh – administrative section
Alborz
Sam Sam Castle, Soleymanieh Palace Museum
Khuzestan
13 sites including:
Khorramshahr garrison, Dezful fighter base, Hoveyzeh garrison, Al-Fajr base, Ahvaz refinery buildings, Hamidieh garrison, Martyr Tondguyan monument, 92nd Armored Division headquarters in Dezful, Dezful historical fortress, Andimeshk railway station museum, Sahraei Hospital Museum, and others.
Tehran
About 50 registered heritage sites, including:
Golestan Palace, Marble Palace, Saadabad Complex, Niavaran Complex, the former Senate building, the former Islamic Consultative Assembly building, Sina University, Red Square, Pasteur Institute building, the Intellectual Development Center for Children and Young Adults, Ashratabad Cultural Mansion, Qajar Palace, Azadi Tower, Farahzad Palace (Darvishan), Baqiyatollah Observatory building, Ershad Hosseiniyeh, Arbabiyeh Mansion, Tehran Philharmonic building, Cultural Heritage Organization building, Mehrabad Airport Terminal No. 1, Teimurtash House, Bina House, Customs Administration building, Sadeghieh Foundation building, Radio Tehran building, National Bank branch in Bazaar, Ministry of Finance building, Tehran Orchestra building, Sepahsalar School, National Museum, Masoudieh Mansion, and other important cultural sites.
Qom
Jameh Mosque and Jahangir Khan School
Mazandaran
Safiabad Palace
East Azerbaijan
Sanjesh Museum
West Azerbaijan
Mahabad Anthropology Museum
Ilam
Darreh Shahr Archaeological Museum
Sistan and Baluchestan
Khajeh Mountain Complex
International Law (War Crimes Aspect)
- Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court – Article 8
- UNESCO Convention of 1954 – Article 4
- 1977 Additional Protocol – Article 53
The deliberate destruction of cultural heritage during armed conflict is considered a violation of international law and a war crime.
Defense of Human Rights Association in Iran
Defense of Defense of Art and Artist Committee
Translated by Alireza Jahan Bin
