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2026-03-18 20:28
By Mostafa PourAli
Protecting cultural heritage under fire: The fragile role of international law
The deliberate targeting of cultural heritage during armed conflict remains a grave concern. International law provides crucial instruments for protection, anchored by agreements such as the 1972 UNESCO Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage and the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. These conventions represent a foundational effort to safeguard sites of historical and artistic significance, recognizing their intrinsic value beyond purely monetary terms.
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2026-03-18 16:17
By Nafise Hajati
How are Isfahan’s UNESCO and national heritage sites faring after airstrikes?
ISFAHAN - Airstrikes on the Iranian city of Isfahan have severely damaged two of its most iconic heritage sites: the UNESCO-listed Chehel Sotoun Palace and the National Heritage Site Ashraf Hall, alongside damage to over 12 other cultural landmarks.
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2026-03-16 21:25
Iran urges UNESCO to investigate UAE’s closure of Iranian schools following U.S.-Israeli strikes
TEHRAN - Minister of Education, Alireza Kazemi, has formally requested UNESCO to investigate a decision by the United Arab Emirates to suspend the operation of Iranian schools following recent military strikes by the United States and the Zionist regime of Israel against Iran.
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2026-03-10 16:49
Tehran intensifies plea to UNESCO amid mounting threats to cultural heritage sites
TEHRAN – Iran has issued a plea to UNESCO for accelerated and enhanced protection of its national treasures, urging the organization to help safeguard all of its World Heritage sites amidst a growing barrage of attacks and regional instability.
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2026-03-07 23:47
‘Global bodies should denounce U.S.-Israeli assault on educational centers’
TEHRAN – Alireza Kazemi, the Minister of Education, has written separate letters to Salim bin Mohammed Al-Malik, the director general of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), Khaled El-Enany; the director general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); and Catherine Russell, the executive director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), urging them to condemn the U.S..-Israeli attacks to educational and cultural organizations in the country.
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2026-03-06 15:56
Science minister writes to UNESCO chief denouncing humanitarian law violations in attacks
TEHRAN – Iran’s Minister of Science, Research and Technology has urged UNESCO to strongly condemn recent attacks by the United States and Israel against Iranian territory, citing violations of international humanitarian law and UNESCO-protected sites.
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2026-03-05 19:48
Tehran museum director urges protection of cultural heritage during conflict
TEHERAN - The director of Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art (TMoCA) has emphasized the importance of safeguarding museums and historical sites during armed conflict, following recent damage to a UNESCO site in downtown Tehran.
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2026-03-05 16:41
UNESCO warns of damage to World Heritage following Tehran attack
TEHRAN – The Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has expressed concern over the protection of World Heritage sites following escalating violence in West Asia, citing damage to the centuries –old Golestan Palace in downtown Tehran.
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2026-03-04 19:42
By Afshin Majlesi
Expert details damage to UNESCO-listed Golestan Palace following airstrike
TEHRAN – Iranian cultural heritage expert Eskandar Mokhtari-Taleqani has elaborated damage to the Golestan Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Tehran, following recent U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on March 1.
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2026-02-28 16:39
Study sheds new light on UNESCO-listed Khorramabad Valley Prehistoric Sites
TEHRAN – A new scientific article on the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age periods in the Khorramabad Valley has been published in the latest issue of the journal of the National Museum of Iran, the head of Lorestan’s Cultural Heritage Department said on Friday.
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2026-02-27 15:46
Safavid-era cannon to undergo conservation process
TEHRAN – A Safavid-era cannon in Isfahan’s 17th-century Chehel Sotoun Palace has entered a process of conservation and revised display after years of being kept in unsuitable conditions, the site’s director said.
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2026-02-27 15:46
Museum director commemorates Arfa’i as pioneer of Elamite, Old Babylonian studies
TEHRAN – The head of the museum at Persepolis on Thursday marked the memory of professor Abdolmajid Arfa’i, an Elamite scholar and researcher of ancient Elamite and Akkadian languages, who died on Wednesday at the age of 86 after a period of illness.
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2026-02-25 18:04
Iranian conservator calls for fundamental reform in restoration education
TEHRAN – An Iranian architectural conservator and university lecturer has called for a fundamental overhaul of restoration education, criticizing what he described as an overly theory-based academic system and weak institutional support for field training.
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2026-02-25 10:03
Boundary survey commenced around Asirabad historical mound in Saveh
TEHRAN – A team of archaeologists and cultural heritage experts has begun a field survey to propose a protective buffer zone for the Asirabad historical mound, which is located in the southeastern part of Saveh, a local official said on Tuesday.
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2026-02-23 18:01
Urmia mosque restoration nears completion ahead of UNESCO evaluation
TEHRAN – Restoration and preparation work on the Jameh Mosque of Urmia is in its final stages as the site is being readied for evaluation for possible inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage list, a provincial official said on Tuesday.
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2026-02-23 18:00
Seymareh Valley landscape seeks UNESCO tentative listing
TEHRAN – The cultural heritage chief of Ilam province said on Monday plans to submit a preliminary dossier for the natural and historical landscape of Seymareh Valley to the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts for review and placement on the country’s tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage status.
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2026-02-23 17:51
Nowruz travel monitoring teams, 24-hour complaint system, activated across Iran
TEHRAN – Iran’s tourism ministry has launched provincial monitoring teams and activated a 24-hour complaint mechanism ahead of the Nowruz 1405 travel season.
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2026-02-18 17:07
17th-century Chehel Sotoun Palace fully reopens to visitors
TEHRAN – All sections of Isfahan’s Chehel Sotoun Palace, including the room known as Chaharshanbeh Suri and the Stone Museum, have been reopened to the public, the site’s director said on Wednesday.
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2026-02-14 17:30
UNESCO-listed Yazd resumes restoration projects, official says
TEHRAN -- Currently, with prioritization of cultural heritage projects, the reactivation of stalled projects, and the focus on global registration commitments, a new path has been opened to preserve Yazd's historical identity and strengthen the city's cultural tourism.
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2026-02-14 17:23
National wrestling hall of fame opens to public in Tehran
TEHRAN – Iran’s National wrestling hall of fame (aka national wrestling honors museum) opened to the public in Tehran on Saturday.
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2026-02-13 17:45
New legal measures under consideration to curb graffiti at Persepolis
TEHRAN – Iranian authorities plan to intensify legal action against graffiti and vandalism at the UNESCO-listed site of Persepolis, a provincial official said on Friday.
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2026-02-11 17:31
Strengthening operations begin in Golestan Palace
TEHRAN--The strengthening operations of Golestan Palace components in Tehran has begun in line with the preventive protection of historical monuments.
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2026-02-08 17:43
Semnan tourism department to revamp surroundings of Shah Abbasi caravanserai
TEHRAN – Semnan’s cultural heritage, tourism and handicrafts department has begun plans to reorganize the area surrounding the centuries-old Shah Abbasi caravanserai which is located in the north-central Iranian province.
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2026-02-07 17:18
Northwest Iran popular destination for Turkish tourists, consul general says
TEHRAN - Turkey’s consul general in Iran’s northwestern city of Urmia has said that tourist attractions in West Azarbaijan province, including UNESCO-listed sites, are popular among Turkish visitors and called for a direct flight between Ankara and Urmia.
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2026-02-06 17:00
Iran tourism has potential to rebound quickly, guides’ head says
TEHRAN – Iran’s tourism industry has the capacity to recover quickly if security, stability and policy coordination are strengthened, the head of the Iranian Tourist Guides Association said on Thursday.
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2026-02-05 23:14
New excavation starts at Sassanian Ardeshir Palace
TEHRAN – Iranian archaeologists have launched a new season of archaeological research and excavation at the Sassanian-era Ardeshir Palace in Firuzabad, southern Fars province.
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2026-02-02 17:00
Work on Xerxes I tomb at Naqsh-e Rostam nears completion
TEHRAN – Restoration work on the rock-cut tomb of Achaemenid king Xerxes I is nearing completion after years of conservation efforts, a local official has said.
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2026-02-01 17:38
Restoration of Russian fortress on Ashuradeh Island begins
TEHRAN--In line with development of tourism infrastructure and attracting national and foreign capital, the restoration of historical Russian fortress on Ashuradeh Island, in the Miankaleh peninsula, west of Bandar Torkaman in northern Iran, has begun, so that the area can be introduced as one of the tourist attraction hubs in northern Iran.
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2026-01-31 17:15
Ancient Sadeh festival can reinforce social cohesion and unity, governor-general says
TEHRAN – Kerman’s governor-general Mohammad-Ali Talebi said on Wednesday that the ancient Sadeh festival is a national ritual belonging to all Iranians and can contribute to social cohesion and unity.
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2026-01-31 17:10
Natural heritage overlooked in Iran’s tourism policy, researcher says
TEHRAN – Iran’s natural heritage is an integral part of the country’s national identity but remains poorly defined, under-prioritized and constrained by institutional conflicts, a natural heritage expert said.