UNESCO expresses concern over the protection of cultural heritage sites in Middle East
The United Nations cultural agency UNESCO has expressed concerns over the fate of several heritage sites in the Middle East following US-Israeli bombings in Iran.
On Monday, Tehran’s Golestan Palace was hit by debris and shock waves after an airstrike on nearby Arg Square, according to Iran’s Mehr news agency. The palace’s windows, doors and mirrors were reportedly damaged.
FILE: Interior of Golestan Palace, Islamic Republic of Iran, February 2010 – Courtesy of Sorush Angabini/UNESCO
According to UNESCO, Golestan Palace is located in the heart of the historic center of Tehran. This fortified palace is one of the oldest complexes in the city.
“It was chosen as the seat of government by the ruling Qajar family, which came to power in 1779 and made Tehran the country’s capital,” the website says. “Built around a garden made up of ponds and planted areas, it acquired its most characteristic elements and ornamentation in the 19th century.”
The site states that it is “composed of eight significant palatial structures primarily used as museums, surrounded by an exterior wall with doors.”
FILE: Empress Farah, left, watches as her husband, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi holds the Quran, during the coronation ceremony, in the throne room of Golestan Palace, October 1967. -AP Photo
In a statement released on Monday, UNESCO said it had “communicated to all parties concerned the geographical coordinates of sites inscribed on the World Heritage List as well as those of national importance, in order to avoid any potential damage.”
UNESCO also recalls that “cultural property is protected by international law, in particular by the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, including its enhanced protection mechanism, as well as by the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage”.
