Total:184
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Yesterday 15:54
War, memory and the race to save a civilization
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2026-07-14 16:43
By Sonia Shidrang, Assistant Professor at Shahid Beheshti University
Prehistoric Sites of the Khorramabad Valley and Iran’s deep past on UNESCO World Heritage List
This week marks the first anniversary of a milestone that reshaped how the world sees Iran’s ancient past. On July 11, 2025, during the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Paris, the Paleolithic Sites of the Khorramabad Valley were inscribed on the World Heritage List—Iran’s 29th such site, and its first ever dedicated to the Paleolithic period.
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2026-07-03 18:28
Researcher highlights Isfahan's enduring role in Ta’zieh heritage
TEHRAN - Iran's ritual dramatic art of Ta’zieh continues to thrive across the country, with central Isfahan province widely regarded as the nation's leading center for the centuries-old tradition, according to Iranian researcher and Ta’zieh scholar Esmaeil Mojallali.
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2026-07-01 20:10
By Afshin Majlesi
War, memory and the race to save a civilization
An interview with Dr. Jebrael Nokandeh, Director of the National Museum of Iran
TEHRAN – What happens when one of the world's oldest civilizations is confronted with the realities of modern warfare? How do museums prepare for conflict, protect irreplaceable artifacts, and respond when cultural institutions come under threat? And what lessons have museum professionals learned from navigating these extraordinary challenges?
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2026-06-30 16:41
By Afshin Majlesi
Experts discuss strategies to protect cultural heritage and historic cities during wartime
TEHRAN – Iranian experts on Tuesday examined international approaches to safeguarding cultural heritage and the historical identity of cities during armed conflict, calling for stronger documentation, digital preservation, legal protection, and broader international cooperation while emphasizing the role of cultural resilience in the aftermath of war.
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2026-06-29 17:53
Isfahan unveils tourism roadmap, plans heritage restoration after recent damage
TEHRAN – Isfahan province has prepared a new tourism development roadmap, launched plans to revive historical corridors and begun restoring heritage sites damaged during recent US-Israeli airstrikes, Governor-general Mehdi Jamalinejad said on Monday.
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2026-06-29 17:46
Martyred leader's funeral ceremonies to be nominated for national heritage status
TEHRAN – Iran's minister of cultural heritage said on Monday that the government plans to seek national heritage registration for the planned funeral ceremonies of the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Mehr news agency reported.
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2026-06-27 17:55
Official highlights Tirgan as key element of Iran's intangible cultural heritage
TEHRAN – The head of Iran's Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism has described the ancient festival of Tirgan as one of the country's most significant elements of intangible cultural heritage, saying it reflects enduring links between nature, mythology and Iranian society.
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2026-06-14 18:17
By Afshin Majlesi
Alborz artisans share their craft, passion and concerns
TEHRAN - World Handicrafts Day, observed annually on June 10, is an occasion to celebrate the creativity, skills and cultural heritage of artisans around the globe.
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2026-06-07 17:10
Lorestan retains leading role in Iran’s national heritage registration: provincial tourism chief
TEHRAN – Lorestan province remains one of Iran’s most significant cultural heritage regions, holding records in national heritage registrations, archaeological sites, and historic bridge architecture, according to provincial heritage officials.
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2026-05-31 17:50
By Sepehr Zarei, archaeologist
Zobeiri: Guardian of the Persian Gulf’s millennia-old heritage
Until recently, few imagined human presence on Iran’s Persian Gulf islands extended beyond the last millennium. But archaeological research has transformed this understanding. Excavations on Qeshm Island pushed settlement back nearly 5,000 years, while stone tools on Bam-e Qeshm hinted at an even older past. The discovery of Paleolithic sites on Hormuz Island—Chand-Derakht and Sang-e Ghorab—revealed that Middle Paleolithic populations lived there between 150,000 and 40,000 years ago, highlighting the Persian Gulf’s role in early human migrations. Long before these scientific findings, Master Mohammad Zobeiri had already grasped this deep historical continuity, preserving it in the Deyrestan Anthropology Museum and his book Ganz-e Bapu.
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2026-05-23 20:55
Isfahan says restoration of war-damaged historic buildings 80% complete
TEHRAN - Restoration work on Isfahan’s historic buildings damaged during the recent war with the US and Israeli regime has reached 80% completion, with most structural repairs expected to be finalized within two weeks, a municipal official said on Saturday.
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2026-05-19 19:55
Attacks on heritage sites show US, Israel ‘civilizational hostility’, minister says
TEHRAN - Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri, said on Monday that attacks on Iranian historical monuments by the United States and Israel reflected what he described as “civilizational hostility” toward Iran, adding that damage to 149 historical sites would remain “a stain” on their faces.
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2026-05-01 19:31
Crash site of US aircraft in Dasht-e Mahyar registered as national heritage
TEHRAN – The Ministry of Cultural Heritage announced that the site where US aircraft were shot down in the Dasht-e Mahyar area has been officially registered on Iran’s National Heritage List of Sacred Defense sites.
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2026-05-01 19:30
Motorcycle rally held in Iran to protest damage to cultural heritage sites
TEHRAN – A two-day motorcycle rally was launched in Iran on Thursday to protest damage to historical sites during recent military strikes, with participants set to gather at Falak-ol-Aflak Castle, a landmark reported to have been affected.
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2026-04-29 21:33
Bombed office of martyred Leader considered for national heritage status
TEHRAN – Iran’s cultural heritage authorities have initiated procedures to register the official residence and administrative office of the martyred leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, better known as “Beit-e Rahbari”, as a national heritage site.
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2026-04-26 18:26
Police seize historical column bases, arrest two in southern Iran
TEHRAN – Police in Iran’s Marvdasht county have seized four historical column bases and arrested two suspects in an operation targeting illegal antiquities activity, a local police commander said.
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2026-04-25 20:19
Minimal intervention key to preserving authenticity of historical sites, expert says
TEHRAN – An Iranian conservation expert has called for a shift toward minimal intervention in the restoration of historical structures, warning that recent war-related damage to heritage sites requires urgent and carefully planned responses.
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2026-04-24 20:26
Heritage experts urge action after war damages 149 sites
TEHRAN – Iran’s association of cultural heritage conservators has warned of extensive damage to historical sites, museums and cultural centers during the recent war with the US and Israeli regime, calling for immediate mobilization of national expertise to manage the crisis and safeguard affected assets.
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2026-04-22 18:54
Austrian Iranologists condemn destruction of Iran’s cultural heritage at Vienna event
TEHRAN - A group of Austrian and international scholars specializing in Iranian studies have strongly condemned the destruction and damage inflicted on Iran’s cultural heritage, describing such acts as not only an assault on a single nation but a profound loss for humanity as a whole.
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2026-04-21 21:18
Foreign ambassadors, media tour Tehran to inspect damage to civilian sites
TEHRAN – More than 50 foreign ambassadors and around 80 domestic and international media representatives toured parts of Tehran on Monday to inspect sites affected by recent attacks on civilian infrastructure.
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2026-04-21 21:05
Athens exhibit highlights damage to Iranian cultural sites
TEHRAN – An exhibition and expert panel held in Athens from April 14 to 16 focused on damage to Iranian cultural and historical sites, with organizers saying the event aimed to raise awareness in Europe about the issue and its broader implications.
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2026-04-20 18:17
Iranian President orders urgent restoration of war-damaged heritage sites
TEHRAN – Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the immediate restoration of cultural and historical sites damaged in recent attacks and called for targeted support for tourism-related businesses, along with accelerated infrastructure development.
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2026-04-19 18:59
Iran to launch campaign to restore war-damaged heritage sites
TEHRAN – Iran’s minister of cultural heritage, tourism and handicrafts said on Saturday that plans are underway to invite restoration experts and Iranians living abroad to help repair historical sites damaged during the recent war with the United States and Israel, with work to begin after the conflict ends.
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2026-04-18 18:12
Human chain formed in Shiraz to support cultural heritage protection
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.
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2026-04-18 18:12
Iran, Russia urge UNESCO action over damage to Tehran heritage site
TEHRAN – Iran and Russia have sent a joint letter to the UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany protesting damage to civilian infrastructure and cultural heritage in Tehran following airstrikes.
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2026-04-11 00:51
Iran urges ICESCO to act on threats to cultural heritage
TEHRAN - Iran has formally called on an international cultural body to take urgent action to protect its historical sites, citing growing threats to some of the country’s most significant cultural landmarks.
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2026-04-11 00:45
Scholars condemn damage to Iran’s cultural heritage
TEHRAN - A group of international researchers and heritage specialists has condemned the damage inflicted on Iran’s cultural heritage during the recent US-Israeli military strikes, warning that the destruction threatens not only historical sites but also global scientific research and collective human memory.
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2026-04-09 03:08
Dry trees removed from Persepolis site to reduce fire risks
TEHRAN – A project has commenced to remove hazardous dry trees from the UNESCO-listed Persepolis, amid visitor safety concerns and the risk of fire, a local official said.
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2026-04-09 03:01
Golestan Palace’s Takht-e Marmar undergoes emergency restoration
TEHRAN – Cultural heritage restorers have completed emergency conservation and documentation work on parts of the Takht-e Marmar (Marble Throne), which was once a royal portico at the Golestan Palace after it was damaged by shockwaves from recent airstrikes, officials said.