Conflict takes toll on historical sites

World monument

She noted that Persepolis, for instance, is not an Iranian nationalist monument. It is a world monument — the ceremonial capital of an empire that issued the first known human rights declaration, a decree by Cyrus the Great now held at the UN as a symbol of universal dignity.

Heritage sites such as the cave paintings of Lorestan, the ancient city of Susa, and the stepped gardens of Pasargadae represent the shared story of human civilization.

"When they are damaged or destroyed, every schoolchild in Tehran, every art student in Berlin, every archaeologist in Cairo loses something. Heritage destruction is always a crime against the future, not merely against the present," Zoghi said.

As the intensity of dizzying developments switched between US-Iran tit-for-tat strikes and Israel's relentless pounding of Lebanon, UNESCO convened an extraordinary meeting on April 1 to strengthen the protection of cultural heritage in Lebanon, following Beirut's request.

The meeting led to granting provisional enhanced protection to 39 cultural properties in Lebanon, as well as the provision of international financial assistance totaling over $100,000 for emergency operations on the ground, UNESCO said in a statement the same day.

Some experts in the region have expressed concerns that even if major sites such as Tyre and Baalbek are not directly targeted, vibrations from nearby explosions could destabilize structures and columns.

Baalbek, a large archaeological complex, is home to some of the world's best-preserved ancient Roman temple ruins. It is also home to Lebanon's renowned cultural Baalbeck International Festival.

"The festival has not been canceled yet. It was supposed to take place at the end of July (and) beginning of August. But it is likely that the festival will be postponed or canceled this year," said Nabil Najjar, a member of the executive committee of Baalbeck International Festival.