TEHRAN – Although Iran’s enemies have repeatedly claimed that their strikes target nuclear and missile infrastructure, their massive airstrikes have also damaged historic districts and monuments that represent centuries of Persian civilization.
Since Feb. 28, several sites, including palaces, mosques, museums and archaeological zones, have reported structural damage, mainly from blast waves, falling debris and nearby explosions.
Iran is home to one of the world’s largest concentrations of historic architecture and archaeological heritage. The country has 29 sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, representing more than two millennia of cultural development from the Achaemenid Empire to the Safavid period and later Islamic eras. Many of these monuments have survived invasions and political upheavals over centuries, but experts warn that modern military conflict presents new threats when historic urban can be affected from airstrikes on what the enemies describe as their targets.
It is very important that for many Iranians, historic monuments are more than archaeological remains or tourist destinations. They represent a cultural continuity that stretches back thousands of years, linking ancient Persian history, the Islamic era and modern national identity.
Damage in Tehran’s historic core
In the capital Tehran, airstrikes near the historic center have damaged the Golestan Palace, one of the city’s most prominent historic landmarks and the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in the capital.
The palace complex, which initially dates back to the 16th century and expanded during the 19th-century Qajar dynasty, consists of several ornate palatial buildings surrounding gardens and courtyards. It served as the ceremonial residence of the Qajar rulers and later played a central role in royal and state ceremonies.
According to heritage authorities and UNESCO monitoring reports, the palace sustained damage following a missile strike on a nearby square on March 2. Reported impacts include shattered mirrored ceilings, broken arches, blown-out windows and scattered debris inside ceremonial halls.
The palace is particularly known for its intricate mirror mosaics, painted tiles and decorative halls that combine Persian architectural traditions with European stylistic influences introduced during the Qajar era. These delicate decorative features are especially vulnerable to shockwaves and vibrations from nearby explosions.
Another historic area affected in the Iranian capital is the Grand Bazaar of Tehran, a vast network of covered market corridors that has served as the city’s commercial heart for centuries.
Beyond its economic function, the bazaar is widely considered a social and cultural institution linking trade guilds, religious institutions and urban communities. It has historically played an important role in political mobilization and civic life, including during the 1979 Islamic Revolution that led to the establishment of the Islamic Republic in the ancient country.
Damage to structures within the bazaar district has raised concerns that the effects of the airstrikes could disrupt not only historic architecture but also the social and economic fabric of one of Tehran’s oldest neighborhoods.
Historic monuments damaged in Isfahan
An explosion is seen near the UNESCO-registered Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan on March 9, 2026.
More extensive damage has been reported in the historic city of Isfahan, widely regarded as one of the most important cultural centers in Iran and a masterpiece of Safavid urban planning.
The city flourished during the reign of Shah Abbas I in the 17th century, when it became the capital of the Safavid Empire and a major hub of art, architecture and trade. Its monumental urban complex centered on Naqsh-e Jahan Square, also known as Imam Square, remains one of the most celebrated examples of Islamic urban design. The square along with treasured buildings on its surrounds in now a UNESCO World Heritage.
Several historic buildings in and around the square, including the 17th-century Imam Mosque and Ali Qapu Palace, have sustained damaged after airstrikes targeted a nearby government building on March 10. The resulting blast waves affected multiple monuments.
Available evidence suggests that Ali Qapu Palace experienced broken doors, shattered windows and dislodged tilework. Ali Qapu served as the royal gateway to the Safavid palace complex and was used by the shah to host foreign envoys and observe ceremonies and polo matches held in the square.
Among the other sites impacted in Isfahan is the Chehel Sotoun Palace, a 17th-century pavilion used by Safavid rulers for ceremonial receptions and diplomatic gatherings. The palace is part of the UNESCO-listed Persian Gardens cultural landscape.
Heritage officials reported damage to Safavid-era decorative elements, including broken tiles, cracked frescoes, fallen murals and shattered windows. Mirrorwork and interior decorative surfaces, which highly intricate features of Safavid architecture, were also affected.
The palace takes its name, meaning “Forty Columns,” from the reflection of its twenty wooden pillars in the rectangular pool in front of the pavilion, which creates the visual impression of twice as many columns.
Shockwaves from the blasts also affected the UNESCO-listed Jameh Mosque of Isfahan, one of the most important monuments in Islamic architecture. The mosque, which has evolved through successive construction phases over nearly twelve centuries, illustrates the development of Iranian mosque architecture from early Islamic forms to later Seljuk and Safavid styles. Reports indicate damage to structural elements as well as decorative tilework and interior surfaces.
According to cultural heritage officials, other historic buildings in the city, including Timuri Hall, the Jebe-Khaneh building, Rakib-Khaneh (the Isfahan Museum of Decorative Arts), Ashraf Hall and structures within the Chehel Sotoun complex—have also experienced damage such as collapsed ceilings, broken windows and cracked walls.
Although many of the monuments remain structurally intact, conservation specialists warn that even limited damage to decorative surfaces and historic materials could have long-term consequences.
Tilework, frescoes, mirror mosaics and painted surfaces are among the most fragile elements of Safavid architecture. Once destroyed or detached, they are extremely difficult, and sometimes impossible, to restore to their original form.
Effects on archaeological heritage
Damage has not been limited to urban monuments. Shockwaves from explosions have also affected the Khorramabad Valley Prehistoric Sites, a recently inscribed UNESCO World Heritage site that consists caves and rock shelters that preserve evidence of human habitation dating back roughly 63,000 years.
Although the archaeological caves themselves remain largely intact, nearby structures within the site’s buffer zone reportedly sustained damage. The nearby Falak-ol-Aflak Castle, also known as Shapur Khast Citadel, is one of the nearby sites affected during the strikes.
The massive fortress, built during the Sasanian period in the third century CE, now houses archaeological and anthropology museums. Reports indicate that some administrative buildings and museum facilities within the castle complex were struck by debris, injuring several heritage protection staff.
The main fortress structure has not suffered major structural damage, but the incident has raised concerns about the vulnerability of historic complexes that include museums and research facilities.
International concern and legal protections
A number of international heritage organizations have expressed concern about the reported damage to Iran’s historic monuments.
The UNESCO, the United Nations agency responsible for cultural heritage protection, said it has communicated the geographic coordinates of World Heritage sites and other significant monuments to all parties involved in the conflict.
In a statement, the organization said it continues to monitor the situation in order to ensure the protection of cultural heritage in Iran and across the region.
Another international organization focused on cultural heritage protection during armed conflict, Blue Shield International, has also warned about the risks posed by military operations near historic sites.
Peter Stone, the group’s president, said cultural heritage represents more than physical structures.
“Cultural heritage is more than a record of the past; it is a tangible anchor for human identity and a shared global asset,” Stone said in a statement. “It reminds us of how much more we have in common than differentiates us.”
Iranian authorities have reportedly placed blue-and-white shield symbols on buildings across the country to indicate protected cultural sites.
The Blue Shield emblem originates from the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, an international agreement designed to safeguard cultural heritage during warfare.
Under international humanitarian law, deliberate attacks on cultural sites not used for military purposes can constitute war crimes.
Broader risks to Iran’s historic landscape
Experts also warn that the damage reported so far may represent only a fraction of the potential risks facing Iran’s cultural heritage if the conflict continues. Many of the country’s most famous historic sites lie near major urban centers or infrastructure that could be considered potential targets by Iran’s enemies.
These major sites include ones that represents a different layer of Iranian civilization from ancient imperial architecture to medieval Islamic urban design. Even if such monuments are not directly targeted, conservation specialists say nearby explosions can cause structural stress, cracks and the detachment of decorative surfaces.
It is worth noting that U.S. President Donald Trump previously raised the possibility of attacking Iranian cultural sites in January 2020 amid escalating tensions between the two countries.
AM
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