Iran’s cultural heritage and tourism ministry said Saturday at least 56 museums and historic sites across the country have been damaged, as the Middle East war entered its 15th day.
Thank you @UNESCO for responsible reaction to bombing of Golestan Palace, a World Heritage site.
We hope UNESCO will maintain firm and principled stance against further attacks on cultural heritage, incl historic monuments in Isfahan. Site protection is international concern. pic.twitter.com/fsrVeLeqTL
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) March 13, 2026
In Tehran, US-Israeli strikes damaged the UNESCO-listed Golestan Palace in the early days of the conflict, local media reported.
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The palace complex is one of the oldest sites in the Iranian capital and once served as the residence of the Qajar dynasty.
The ministry said Tehran has recorded the highest number of damaged monuments, with 19 suffering varying levels of harm.
The vast Naghsh-e Jahan Square, a 17th-century architectural jewel in the heart of the central Iranian city of Isfahan, has also been damaged.
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In the port of Siraf, in Bushehr province, several houses were hit in the historic quarter, home to many century-old buildings.
UNESCO, the UN’s culture agency, told AFP on Friday it was concerned about hundreds of historic sites in Iran, Israel and Lebanon that have been damaged or threatened by the war.
