Debris at the Golestan Palace, a historical monument, after damage caused by an Israeli-American strike, as part of the conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran, in Tehran, Iran, on March 3, 2026. Photo Majid Asgaripour/REUTERS FILE PHOTO: Debris at the historical monument Golestan Palace after it was damaged in an Israeli and U.S. strike, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 3, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY./File Photo
Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Tourism said Saturday that at least 56 museums and historical sites across the country have been damaged as the war with Israel and the United States enters its 15th day.
In Tehran, Israeli-American bombardments damaged the Golestan Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site, during the first days of the conflict. Often compared to Versailles, the palace is one of the oldest sites in the Iranian capital and served as the residence of the Qajar royal dynasty (1789–1925).
According to the ministry, Tehran province recorded the highest number of damaged monuments, with 19 sites affected to varying degrees.
In Isfahan, in central Iran, Naqsh-e Jahan Square, a 17th-century architectural landmark surrounded by mosques, a palace and a historic bazaar, also sustained damage.
In Bushehr, a port city on the Gulf, several houses in the historic Siraf port district, home to many century-old and bicentennial buildings, were hit.
UNESCO warned Friday about the damage and risks to cultural heritage amid a wave of airstrikes, missiles and drone attacks across the Middle East, noting that historic sites in Iran, Israel and Lebanon have already been damaged and that hundreds more could be threatened by the war.
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