Middle East's cultural treasures vulnerable to conflicts

The Paris-based International Council of Museums had issued an emphatic warning after the first bomb strikes: There was a "growing danger" for museums and their employees in Israel and Iran.

The Icom, which consists of 8,000 museum professionals worldwide, including members from Israel and Iran, had demanded that both sides adhere to international conventions for the protection of cultural heritage, even in the event of conflict. "However, we can do no more than admonish and warn," the president of the Icom's German Nntional committee, Felicia Sternfeld, told DW.

Did this appeal have an impact? The news situation on the ground is thin, with only sparse information coming out of Iran in particular, as the government allows hardly any foreign journalists to enter and severely restricts the press. However, one thing seems certain: Contingency plans were activated in both countries at the start of the Israel-Iran conflict. As much as possible, experts worked to secure, remove and relocate cultural assets. It is currently unclear whether there has been any damage.

National Museum in Tehran evacuated

Iran has a rich cultural heritage. This includes 28 Unesco World Heritage Sites and about 840 museums, 300 of which are under the administration of the culture ministry. "Iran has a well-organized and professional heritage authority," Judith Thomalsky, the head of the Tehran branch of the German Archaeological Institute, said in an interview with Deutschlandfunk radio.

Thomalsky's office has been operating from Berlin since 2023, when thousands of Iranians protested the regime and the German Federal Foreign Office withdrew staff from German institutions as a precaution. The Institute itself continues its work on the premises of the German Embassy in Tehran with local staff, and Thomalsky maintains as much contact as possible with her Iranian network.

Barbara Helwing, director of the Museum of the Ancient Near East in Berlin and Thomalsky's predecessor from 2000 to 2014, is also an expert on Iran. She told German regional broadcaster RBB that she was in contact with her colleagues at the National Museum until recently; there has been occasional radio silence because the Iranian regime had shut down the Internet.

"We know that the museum and its two large buildings near the Foreign Ministry have been emptied," Helwing said. She added that she has seen photos showing empty display cases.

Sandbags shielding important exhibits

The Iranian National Museum is not only the oldest but also the most important museum in Iran. Comprising two buildings with three halls each, it houses more than 300,000 archaeological finds from pre-Islamic [before 7th century CE: Eds.] and Islamic times, including many objects made of stone, ceramics, glass and metals.

"In Iran, the relationship with cultural heritage is very close," Helwing said. The country's cultural identity is based on a long history and the awareness that the first real-world empire in history, the ancient Persian Empire (around 550 to 330 BCE), originated in Iran. According to Helwing, all portable museum objects were hastily transported into the cellars.

The nonmovable artifacts, mainly stone objects, were covered with sandbags to protect them from strikes and flying debris. Unlike in Israel, there are no bunkers in Iran — neither for people nor for valuable art treasures.

Protecting archaeological sites that are often located in open areas has proved far more difficult. "You can't really protect them," Helwing said. "You can only hope that they are far enough away from potential targets."

Is the famed Taq-e Bostan rock relief in danger?

According to the English-language Tehran Times, Taq-e Bostan, an archeological complex from the era of the Sasanian dynasty (224-651 CE) that includes a one-of-a-kind monumental rock relief, faces particular danger. The newspaper reported that the Israeli Air Force bombed a weapons depot just two kilometers away from the complex. The resulting shock waves and vibrations may have damaged the site, Helwing said, though she lacked more precise information.

"Iran's Department of Antiquities knows what it needs to do," said Judith Thomalsky, a historian who focuses on prehistoric times and who has spent over 20 years working in Iran. She also believes that it isn't possible to protect open archaeological sites such as the Persepolis complex, the Bisotun inscriptions and Takht-e Soleyman, or "Throne of Solomon," an archaeological site. She told the Berlin daily Tagesspiegel that, though she doesn't believe that cultural assets face an acute threat, it is impossible to know how things may develop.

Institutions in Israel, for their part, activated emergency plans following the first Iranian counterattacks. For instance, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art secured its collection of Israeli and international art in underground storage, the French Magazine Beaux Arts reported. It is planning to reopen its doors on July 3. It is already possible to visit Jerusalem's Israel Museum again, which with its 500,000 objects is one of the largest in the Middle East. The museum website informs visitors that it is equipped with safe rooms that are located in the museum in case of emergency.

Unesco Heritage Committee meets in Paris

Israel is currently home to nine Unesco World Heritage Sites, including the White City of Tel Aviv, a neighbourhood with numerous buildings in the Bauhaus architectural style, the Masada mountaintop fortress and the Old City of Acre.

"To our knowledge there has been no damage to archaeological artifacts under the management of Israel Antiquities Authority, nor to objects in museums," the authority has stated, as reported by both Tehran Times and The Times of Israel.

World heritage sites are under formal protection of the international community. The 1954 Hague convention regulates the protection of cultural material in armed conflict, while the 1972 Unesco World Heritage Convention governs conservation of cultural assets among nations.

From July 6-16, the Unesco World Heritage Committee will be holding its 47th session in Paris. Among other things, experts will discuss potential future Unesco cultural heritage sites. The session will be livestreamed. The Israel-Iran conflict was not on the agenda as of June 30.