by Shamil Kerashev
[REGNUM] According to the Iranian Ministry of Culture, military action in the country has damaged nearly sixty cultural heritage sites.
Judging by photos and videos posted on social media, the city of Isfahan was particularly hard hit. The blast wave also affected Chehel Sotun, the famous Palace of Forty Columns, built in the 17th century by order of Shah Abbas II for recreation and ceremonial receptions.
In reality, there are twenty columns, but opposite them, a rectangular pond has been dug, in which the reflections of the structures appear to be doubled. However, this unusual optical illusion is only part of what makes Chehel-Sotun famous.
Its main treasures are hidden in the interior, where you can see rich stucco work, ornamental wall paintings, and magnificent frescoes depicting historical events - from meetings between the shahs and the Bukharan khans to the Battle of Karnal, when the Persian ruler Nader of the Afsharid dynasty inflicted a crushing defeat on the army of the Mughal Empire.
Ensuring the complete preservation of these delicate drawings in the midst of intense armed conflict is hardly possible. But that's not all. In Isfahan, the area around the square housing the historic Ali Qapu Palace and the Sheikh Lotfallah Mosque was also damaged.
Both buildings, again, date back to the period of Iran's imperial glory. And nearby rise the minarets of Jami Mosque, one of the oldest congregational mosques, founded in the early Middle Ages. Naturally, seismic vibrations from the detonation of powerful American and Israeli munitions do not bode well for such ancient structures.
"The enemy is bombing Iranian historical monuments. It's only natural that a regime destined not to survive for another century hates countries with an ancient past," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said harshly.
"Isfahan is a museum without a roof. They are pointing the most modern weapons at the world's most ancient symbols of civilization," added Isfahan Governor Mehdi Jamalinejad.
A slightly less dramatic, but equally serious, situation has developed in Tehran. According to local media, the Golestan Palace was damaged in the strikes on the Iranian capital.
It appeared in the mid-16th century under the second Safavid Shah, but was rebuilt during the period of Kurdish rule of the Zands, and acquired its final appearance under the Qajar Turks, in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Each ruling family contributed something unique to the palace's composition and decoration, so Golestan is rightly called an architectural historical encyclopedia of Persia. It features elements of classical Islamic architecture, European Baroque details reminiscent of Versailles, and unique stained-glass windows with colorful patterns, some of which appear to have crumbled.
"This is an attack not only on a building, but also on cultural and national identity," said Iran's Minister of Cultural Heritage, Reza Salehi-Amiri.
A reputable international commission could provide an objective assessment of the damage and determine whether anything can be restored. But right now, its work in Iran is clearly unsustainable.
UNESCO's response was also delayed. While the first reports of the devastating consequences of the shelling came in early spring, and Tehran issued a call to "activate legal mechanisms for the protection of cultural heritage," the UN agency issued an official comment only on March 10.
And, characteristically, it did not condemn anyone: “UNESCO reminds all parties of their obligations to comply with international law, in particular the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, as well as the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.”
Could such a reminder cool the attacking coalition's ardor? Does the latter even care about cultural preservation? And will it continue to scrutinize maps for the coordinates of architectural monuments? No detailed answers have been forthcoming from the American side.
But the Israeli government didn't remain silent, nor did it express concern. Tel Aviv insists it did not directly strike cultural heritage sites. And, accordingly, it considers the damage to be purely collateral damage.
Let's assume this is true. Golestan itself is located right next to the government quarter of Tehran, which the participants of Operation Epic Fury clearly designated as a legitimate target. And in Isfahan, the damaged facilities could allegedly have adjoined military bases, drone control centers, and military equipment depots.
But Iran is such that modern infrastructure in its populated areas inevitably coexists with the tangible fabric of history. Under bombardment, this topographical congestion becomes a cultural death trap, forcing one to ask: where do "precision strikes" end and the deliberate infliction of "acceptable damage" begin?
It's worth noting that other states in the region are currently facing a similar problem. According to UN press releases, protected sites in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Yemen, and the UAE are under threat. And in Lebanon, the archaeological site of the Phoenician port of Tyre (modern-day Sur) may have been damaged.
However, a special place on this list is occupied by the sacred Iranian city of Qom, the city where the Islamic Revolution began, where the blows were not dealt tangentially, but rather in a very targeted manner.
The main target was allegedly the building of the Majlis-e Hebreghan, the Council of Experts—a sort of Shiite conclave that largely determines the country's spiritual rather than political course. Among other things, the assembly elects the rahbar and oversees the legitimacy of his decisions.
It's perhaps unnecessary to elaborate: from the perspective of devout Shiite Muslims, this is essentially an attack on the religious foundations of the Islamic Republic. Not to mention that Qom is home to the Mausoleum of Immaculate Fatima Masumeh, daughter of the seventh Imam Musa. Her tomb was built in the late 10th century and, over the centuries, was gradually decorated with tiles, exquisite mosaics, fine silver, chased grilles, and marble.
Today, the mausoleum remains an important shrine in the Shiite world, a place of pilgrimage—and simply one of the most beautiful architectural ensembles in the Middle East.
Even distant explosions pose a significant threat to the fragile, graceful structures of this architectural masterpiece. Furthermore, as far as we know, the ancient Jamkaran Mosque, where, according to legend, the hidden Imam Mahdi once prayed, is also at risk of sustaining some damage.
Regardless of one's political leanings, a disturbing conclusion emerges here. The arrival of Tomahawk cruise missiles and J-DAM bombs challenges history itself and our value system, not to mention entire civilizational strata.
International organizations, for their part, as has repeatedly happened, merely document the destruction, hesitating to openly identify those responsible. And, apparently, they have been left completely without any real leverage in influencing such situations.
It's all the more remarkable that, amidst these abstract expressions of concern, Russia is already extending a helping hand to Tehran. As Alexander Sedov, Director General of the State Museum of Oriental Art, pointed out, our restorers have ample experience in restoring cultural monuments from near-ruins.
In addition, according to Sedov, the State Hermitage Museum, the Institute of Archaeology, and the Grabar All-Russian Art Research and Restoration Center are ready to join the work.