The Paris -based International Council of Museum issued a vigorous warning after the first bomb attacks: there was a “growing threat” for museums and their employees in Israel and Iran.
The ICOM, including 8,000 museum professionals worldwide, including the German National Committee of Israel and Iran’s ICOM, Felicia Sternfeld said, “However, we cannot do more than informal and warning.”
Did this appeal affect? The status of news on the ground is thin, especially with only rare information from Iran, as the government rarely allows any foreign journalist to enter and severely restrict the press. However, one thing seems certain: In the beginning of the Israeli-Iran struggle, contingency plans became active in both countries. As much as possible, experts worked to secure, remove and move cultural property. It is not currently clear whether there is any loss or not.
National Museum vacated in Tehran
Iran has a rich cultural heritage. It consisted of 28 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and about 840 museums, out of which 300 are under the administration of the Ministry of Culture. Judith Thomsky, head of the Tehran branch of the German Archaeological Institute, said, “Iran has a well -organized and professional heritage authority.”
Thomsky’s office has been working with Berlin since 2023, when thousands of Iranians opposed governance and German federal foreign office, in which employees from German institutions were a predetermined determined. The institute itself continues its work in the German Embassy premises in Tehran with local employees, and Thomsky maintains as much contact as possible with its Iranian network.
Barbara Helling, director of the ancient East Museum in Berlin, is a specialist from Iran, from 2000 to 2014, Thomsky’s expert. She told the German regional broadcaster RBB that she was recently in touch with her colleagues at the National Museum; Radio has ever been silence as the Iranian regime shut down the Internet.
“We know that the Ministry of External Affairs emphasizes the museum and its two big buildings,” Helving said. He said that he has seen photos showing the cases of vacant demonstrations.
Sandbags prescription important performance
The Iranian National Museum is not only the oldest, but the most important museum in Iran. Each includes two buildings with three halls, it makes more than 300,000 archaeological discovery from pre-Islamic [before 7th century CE: Eds.] And Islamic time, including stone, ceramic, glass and many objects made of metals.
“In Iran, the relationship with cultural heritage is very close,” Helving said. The cultural identity of the country is based on a long history and awareness that originated in the first real -world Empire in history, the ancient Parselic Empire (about 550 to 330 BCE), in Iran. According to Helving, all the portable museum items were hasty to the basement.
Non -artifacts, mainly stone objects, were covered with sandbags to protect them from strike and flying debris. Unlike Israel, there are no bunkers in Iran – neither for people nor valuable art treasures.
Protecting archaeological sites that are often located in the open fields have proved to be far more difficult. “You can’t really protect them,” Helving said. “You can only hope that they are far from possible goals.”
Is the famous Taq-E Bostan Rock Relight in Danger?
English language Tehran TimesTaq-e Bostan, from the era of the Sasanian dynasty (224–651 CE), faces special threat to the archaeological complex from the era of one-one-one-one-one-one-monumental rock relief. The newspaper said that the Israeli Air Force is two kilometers from the campus just two kilometers from a weapon depot bombing. The resulting shock waves and vibrations might have damaged the site, although he painted more accurate information.
“The ancient department of Iran knows what it needs to do,” said a historian who focuses on prehistoric period and who has spent more than 20 years in Iran. Therefore it is not possible to assume that it is not possible to search for the open archaeological sites to the archaeological site to find the open archaeological sites, Bisotun inscriptions and the Takht-e Soleman, or the “Throne of Solomon”. He told Berlin daily daily Mirror However, she does not believe that cultural property faces a rapid threat, it is impossible to know how things can develop.
The institute in Israel, for its share, activates emergency plans after the first Iranian counter. For example, Tel Aviv Museum of Art secured underground storage, Israeli and international art in French magazine Bex Arts Informed It is planning to reopen its doors on 3 July. It is already possible to visit the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, which is the most waving in the Middle East with 500,000 items. The website of the museum informs visitors that it is equipped with safe rooms which are located in the museum in an emergency.
UNESCO Heritage Committee meets Paris
Israel is currently home to nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the White City of Tel Aviv, with several buildings in the Bohoss architectural style, with a neighborhood, the Masada Mountains Mountains Fort and the old city of the Acker.
The authority said, “There was no harm to archaeological artifacts under the management of the Israeli Archaeological Authority for our knowledge, nor for goods in the museum,” Tehran Times And Israel time,
The World Heritage site is under the formal protection of the international community. The Hague Convention of 1954 controls the conservation of cultural materials in the armed struggle, while the 1972 UNESCO World Heritage Conference controls the preservation of cultural property among nations.
From 6–16 July, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee will hold its 47th session in Paris. Among other things, experts want to discuss possible future UNESCO cultural heritage sites. The session wants to be livestream. The Israel-Iran struggle was not on the agenda till 30 June.
This article was original in German.
