TEHRAN – The Zagros Paleolithic Museum in Kermanshah, the first specialized museum of its kind in the region, has sustained damage from a blast wave generated by recent US airstrikes on the city’s historical center. The museum is housed within the historic Biglar Beigi Tekyeh (also known as Biglarbaigi), a Qajar-era Hosseinieh that is a recognized national heritage site.

The Biglar Beigi Tekyeh was originally built by Abdolakhan Farashbashi, nicknamed Biglarbaigi, a prominent official in Kermanshah. Construction of the building began between 1891 and 1897 in the old part of the city, near the Jameh Mosque. Fifteen years later, he added the Hosseinieh section to host religious mourning ceremonies. The Tekyeh is renowned for its unparalleled mirror work, brickwork, and architecture, making it one of Kermanshah’s most beautiful buildings and a major visitor attraction. The main Hosseinieh hall features intricate mirror decorations, Qajar-era inscriptions, and ornate ceilings. A section of the Tekyeh also houses a calligraphy museum, which opened in 2004.

Established in 2007 by Paleolithic archaeologist Fereidoun Biglari of the National Museum of Iran, in collaboration with the Kermanshah Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, the Zagros Paleolithic Museum is located within the same complex. As the region’s first specialized Paleolithic museum, it features four galleries displaying stone tools dating from one million years ago to approximately 8,000 years ago, discovered at important sites such as Kashafrud, Darband Cave, Mar Tarik Cave, Ali Tappeh Cave, and Sarab and Asiab. The museum also houses Ice Age animal fossils from sites like Wezmeh Cave (dating to 20,000–70,000 years ago), a Neolithic human skull from Ali Kosh, a full-scale Neanderthal model, and museum-quality replicas of Neanderthal and modern human skulls from well-known sites such as La Ferrassie in France and Tabun in Palestine. Visitors have consistently praised the museum as an extraordinary journey into deep history.

Due to its location within the blast-affected complex, the Zagros Paleolithic Museum has suffered indirect damage. Officials are now assessing the condition of the museum’s interior exhibits, including its valuable and fragile Paleolithic fossils from the Zagros region.

Cultural heritage teams have initiated emergency measures, prioritizing the stabilization of the Tekyeh’s shingle roof and the replacement of damaged windows to prevent further weather-related deterioration. Photos released by the Cultural Heritage Department show stark before-and-after images of the Tekyeh, highlighting the destruction of its intricate wooden frames and glasswork.

According to the Directorate of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts of Kermanshah, total damage to historical sites in the province is estimated at over $100,000. Emergency restoration efforts have been prioritized for a historic mosque and the Biglar Beigi Tekyeh. Damage to the Tekyeh includes broken Orosi windows, shattered glass, a destroyed shingle roof, and damage to its intricate mirror work and eaves.

A new exhibition titled “Standing in the Dust,” featuring photographs of damaged cultural heritage sites across Iran, includes images of the recent damage to the Biglar Beigi Tekyeh. The exhibition was organized by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage at the National Museum of Iran in observance of Cultural Heritage Week.

AM