On February 28th, 2026, the news of the loss of human lives, the operational pattern of military strikes, damage to infrastructure, communication disruptions, and international responses following US-Israeli military attacks on Iran confirmed to the world that there was a new focus of war in the Middle East. This military conflict has also had a human and infrastructural impact on Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Jordan, with active combat zones in their territories, and the Gulf States, where damage particularly affected US military bases and energy infrastructure. This adds a new site of armed conflict globally, joining the fifth year of the Russia-Ukraine war, the civil wars in Sudan and Myanmar, persistent conflict in Mali, Burkina Faso, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, violent armed conflict in Haiti, and the forced overthrow of the former Venezuelan president. All these territories are currently involved in the deliberate destruction of their normality, including essential, everyday, and cultural infrastructure of global value. Although information is currently scattered and partial, it is possible to assess some of the damage to cultural heritage caused by this new outbreak of armed conflict.
Built cultural heritage can be less important in its material dimension than in its historical and social value. A building, structure, or site is recognized as heritage when it exceeds its intrinsic value and acquires universal recognition based on its historical significance and its aesthetic, scientific, or social importance, warranting preservation for future generations. On both a local and international scale, cultural heritage offers a beacon for perspective, identity, memory, and shared values. On this note, on Monday, March 2nd, UNESCO expressed concern over the protection of cultural heritage sites amidst escalating violence in the Middle East. In a short declaration, the organisation recalled that cultural property is protected under international law, notably the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
The statement followed the confirmation of damage from a strike to the Golestan Palace in Tehran on Sunday, March 1st. The hazards include blown-out windows, shattered mirrors, damaged stained glass, and lifted pavement, to an extent detrimental to the integrity of the whole. The building, a former official royal Qajar complex commonly called the "Versailles of Persia," dates to the Safavid era in the 16th century and was expanded under the Qajar dynasty in the late 18th century, integrating earlier Persian crafts and architecture with Western influences. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013 for representing an exceptional example of an East-West synthesis in monumental arts, architectural layout, and building technology; containing the most complete representation of Qajari artistic and architectural production; and being a prime example of the arts and architecture of a significant period in Persian modernization processes throughout the 19th century.
Related Article
Heritage in Syria: Independent Groups Documenting the Country’s Historic ArchitectureOn Wednesday, March 4th, on account of the conflict's intensification, Lebanon's Ministry of Culture called on UNESCO to offer additional protection for the country's cultural heritage. The ministry specifically referenced the National Museum of Beirut and listed Lebanese archaeological and historical sites, including the eighth-century city of Anjar, the Phoenician city of Baalbek, and Ouadi Qadisha (the Holy Valley), recognised as one of the most important early Christian monastic settlements in the world. As can be expected, and despite no material damage, cultural institutions are closing temporarily. According to Ocula, in Beirut, the Ramzi and Saeda Dalloul Art Foundation, the Sursock Museum, Dar El-Nimer for Arts & Culture, and Beirut Art Center have closed. In Uzbekistan, the Centre for Contemporary Arts Tashkent (CCA), a flagship project led by the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation, also announced the decision to postpone its upcoming opening "out of care for the safety and well-being of all participants, artists, and guests."
Further damage to more recent cultural heritage has been confirmed over the last ten days, including two International Style buildings in the UNESCO World Heritage site of the White City in the Israeli capital of Tel Aviv, hit by Iranian missiles. Apparently destroyed beyond repair, one of the historic buildings had initially been designated for preservation under what is known as the Lev Ha'Ir, or City Center, plan associated with the White City's designation. The area was inscribed in 2003 for being one of the world's largest concentrations of Bauhaus architecture designed in the 1930s by German architects. The area comprises 4,000 buildings across 1.5 square miles in the city center and is characterized by white and pastel façades, flat roofs, balconies, and minimalist designs. Dubai's sail-shaped Burj Al Arab skyscraper and the man-made Palm Jumeirah island were also among the architectural landmarks in the United Arab Emirates damaged by Iranian strikes on Saturday, February 28th.
On the other hand, in its fifth year after the start of the war, the Ukraine Cultural Heritage Fund continues to take shape since its announcement at the fourth Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome in July 2025. According to the country's Culture Ministry, the initiative is conceived as a multidonor platform to mobilise international resources for the protection, restoration, and development of Ukrainian cultural heritage damaged by war. According to The Art Newspaper, as of November 2025, 1,630 cultural heritage sites and 2,437 cultural infrastructure facilities across Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed in the war. Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom are among the countries contributing to the redevelopment fund, identifying 13 initial restoration projects, including the St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Church in Kyiv, damaged by a Russian missile strike in 2023. This project joins other programs by UNESCO, Aliph Foundation, the World Monuments Fund, ICCROM, a Rome-based intergovernmental organisation, and Obmin, registered in 2022 in Warsaw, to aid Ukrainian museums.
Editor's Note: This article was created on March 9, 2026, based on consistent news reports from multiple international media outlets. Given the volatile nature of the ongoing conflict, on-site verification remains limited, and some details may be subject to revision as new information emerges.
