When war threatens civilization: Iran's cultural heritage at risk

As military conflicts in the Middle East continue to escalate, Iran, Israel, Qatar and Bahrain have successively announced the closure of key museums and cultural venues. A quiet emergency effort to safeguard humanity's cultural heritage is unfolding under the shadow of war.

According to China Media Group correspondents, Iran declared a 40-day national mourning period starting on March 1. The government also ordered a seven-day shutdown of public institutions. A few days ago, the Golestan Palace, also known as the "Rose Palace," was damaged in airstrikes launched by the United States and Israel.

For more, see: Golestan Palace, a landmark of Iran's cultural identity, damaged

Beyond the immediate damage, the risk extends to a far larger cultural landscape. Iran stands at the crossroads of some of the world's earliest civilizations. For thousands of years, Persian culture has shaped human history through cities, empires and ideas that continue to influence the modern world.

Today, Iran is home to 27 UNESCO World Heritage sites, among the highest numbers in the Middle East. These sites span prehistoric settlements, ancient empires and the Islamic era, forming an unbroken record of human civilization. Damage caused by military conflict would be irreversible.

Among the most important sites is Persepolis, the ceremonial center of the Achaemenid Empire. Its ruins reveal how an early multi-ethnic empire governed diverse peoples, with stone reliefs showing envoys from different regions bringing tributes.

Pasargadae, the first Persian capital and the burial place of Cyrus the Great, carries equal weight. Cyrus is remembered for policies of religious tolerance that shaped early ideas of governance and human rights.

Iran's heritage is not limited to grand imperial ruins. It also includes historic cities that reflect long-standing ways of life and human adaptation.

The historic center of Isfahan reflects the height of Islamic urban design, while Yazd’s wind towers and mud-brick buildings show how people adapted to harsh desert conditions. The ancient Qanat water system, still studied today, demonstrates how underground channels sustained cities and agriculture in dry regions.

Cultural heritage is especially vulnerable in modern warfare. Once stone carvings, murals or ancient city layouts are destroyed, they cannot truly be rebuilt. For archaeology, anthropology and the study of human civilization, such losses are impossible to replace.

Concerns over this vulnerability are not theoretical. In 2020, President of the United States Donald Trump publicly mentioned the possibility of targeting Iranian cultural sites. The remarks quickly drew criticism from scholars, international organizations and the United Nations. They warned that attacks on cultural heritage violate international law and basic principles of civilization. The Hague Convention also prohibits attacks on cultural property during armed conflict, reflecting a long-standing international consensus on protecting cultural heritage.

Iran's historic sites are not political symbols, but irreplaceable chapters of world history. Protecting them is not a political choice – it is a shared responsibility to preserve humanity's collective memory.