UNESCO raises fresh concerns over Middle East heritage threatened by war

and Israeli strikes on Iran is seen at the Golestan Palace in Tehran, Iran, March 3, 2026
Published on
25/03/2026 - 17:27 GMT+1
As the war in the Middle East continues, cultural and historical sites in the region are increasingly under threat sparking renewed calls from Middle East states and UNESCO for help protecting heritage sites.

With the United States and Israel’s war with Iran now in its fourth week, representatives from numerous countries in the Middle East are calling on UNESCO to help protect their heritage sites caught in the crossfire
A recent meeting between UNESCO and Lebanon’s Directorate General of Antiquities discussed “immediate measures to strengthen the protection of vulnerable cultural properties across the country,” UNESCO said in a statement
Last week, UNESCO confirmed that “several sites of cultural significance” in the region have been reported as impacted and damaged in the war
They renewed their call for maximum restraint to spare the “social foundation of societies” and reiterated the obligation of parties to respect international law.

Here are some of the key sites damaged by the escalating war
and Israeli strikes seen on the facade of the Golestan Palace in Tehran, Iran, March 3, 2026.

AP Photo
Debris from a US-Israeli airstrike on Tehran damaged the Golestan Palace — a UNESCO World Heritage site
The Qajar-era palace’s mirrored ceilings, windows, and archways were impacted, according to AP.

FILE: Shattered glass on the Palace’s floors, caused by U.S
and Israeli strikes in Tehran, Iran, March 3, 2026.

AP Photo
The damage triggered concern from UNESCO, which said it communicated the geographical coordinates of the World Heritage sites and sites of national significance to avoid harming them in the conflict
Chehel Sotoun Palace, Isfahan, Iran
Damage sustained to the Chehel Sotoun Palace
Strikes carried on the city of Isfahan targeting the governor’s building damaged the interior of the Chehel Sotoun Palace, which is in close proximity to the building
The 17th-century pavilion is part of the Persian Garden — a UNESCO World Heritage site
This came just a week after the Golestan Palace sustained damage from the US-Israeli strike on Tehran.

Ali Qapu Palace, Isfahan, Iran
Exterior of the Ali Qapu palace, Isfahan, Iran, 2025.

Ali HSFT via Unsplash
The Ali Qapu palace in Isfahan, due to its proximity to the governor’s building, also suffered as a result of strikes on the city
Damage to the interior, including the intricate tilework, has been reported.

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The northern facade of the Masjed-e Jameh, Isfahan, Iran.

MJIB via UNESCO
Shock waves from the strikes on Isfahan reportedly damaged the Masjed-e Jameh (Jameh Mosque), the oldest Friday mosque in Iran and another UNESCO World Heritage Site, according to reports in German media
Tyre, Lebanon.

Limes.Media/Tim Schnarr via UNESCO
The World Heritage site town of Tyre in southern Lebanon, once a Phoenician city, has been endangered by Israeli strikes in Lebanon
Parts of the site have been reported as damaged, according to a recent statement by UNESCO.

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