TEHRAN – A human chain was formed in Shiraz on Saturday at the Fars Education History Museum, which was damaged by recent airstrikes, to mark the International Day for Monuments and Sites and support the protection of cultural heritage. 

The gathering brought together restoration specialists, members of the provincial technical council, cultural heritage advocates, and experts in restoration and handicrafts, who called for broader public participation in safeguarding cultural assets.

Speaking on the sidelines, Sadeq Zare’, deputy head of cultural heritage at the Fars Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Department, said the building, which previously served as Shiraz’s first municipality office and was registered on the national heritage list in the 2000s, had suffered damage mainly to its wooden elements and decorations, while structural damage was limited.
“Cultural heritage is a trust that we safeguard in times of peace and protect in times of war,” he said.

He added that a working group comprising the cultural heritage department, the provincial technical council, and the education department had been formed to plan restoration and reconstruction of the building.

Ali Ta’abodi, a senior handicrafts expert, said Shiraz and Fars province have significant capacity in crafts related to architecture and called for greater involvement of local artisans in restoration efforts alongside engineers and conservation specialists.

Mehdi Najafi, head of the provincial museums department, referred to the 1954 Hague Convention, describing it as the first international framework addressing the protection of cultural property during armed conflict.

He said the convention emphasizes that safeguarding cultural heritage requires planning both in times of peace and war.

ISNA reported that participants also presented proposals to local, national, and international authorities, including increasing support for scientific research, assessing damage to cultural heritage, adopting stricter protective legislation, and integrating heritage management plans.
At the end of the event, attendees issued a joint statement condemning attacks on Iran’s historical sites and called for international cooperation to protect cultural heritage.
AM