Chehel Sotoun, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site in the Iranian city of Isfahan, was damaged after an airstrike, Iranian state media reported. The report comes a week after Tehran’s Golestan Palace was severely damaged by U.S. and Israeli air strikes on Iran.
A roughly minute-long video posted to X by Iranian state media appeared to show the door being blown open. The grand windows of the 17th-century Chehel Sotoun Palace appear to be broken.
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The report pointed out that the Isfahan Provincial Government Office, about 100 meters away from the palace, was targeted in the attack on March 9.
In 2011, the entire palace complex was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Persian Gardens. This series of directories covers nine historic gardens across Iran, and together they illustrate the evolution and diversity of Persian garden traditions.
Known as the “Forty Column Palace”, Chekh Sotong Palace is a relic of the Safavid Empire and is famous for its splendid architecture and well-preserved murals. It was built during the reign of Shah Abbas I (also known as Abbas the Great), when Isfahan was the capital of the empire. According to legend, the palace takes its name from the 20 pillars that support its main pavilion, which are doubled in the reflection of the pool in front, creating the illusion of 40 pillars.
The building’s interior is a vast complex of soaring halls, lush courtyards and winding corridors, decorated with paintings by the famous Safavid artist Reza Abbasi, whose works depict the historical events of the Safavid dynasty in panoramic views. Some of these works were repainted in subsequent centuries. For example, a mural depicting a battle between Shah Ismail I and the Uzbeks changed over time, giving the palace walls a deeper resonance as an evolving palimpsest of history.
The report comes just a week after the United Nations’ cultural arm, UNESCO, confirmed that Tehran’s Golestan Palace had been damaged in the latest U.S.-Israeli bombing. Images shared from the scene – reminiscent of those circulated from Isfahan’s Cech Sotoun Palace – appeared to show the historic building damaged by debris and blast shock waves from the attack on nearby Agha Square.
Iran’s Cultural Heritage Minister Reza Salehi-Amiri called the incident an attack on “Iranian culture and national identity” and said a formal report would be submitted to UNESCO. The 16th-century Golestan Palace, also known as the Rose Palace, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2013. The complex is known for its subtle blend of traditional Persian craftsmanship and architecture with elements of Western aesthetics, including intricate tiles, mirrored mosaics and formal gardens dotted with sunken pools.
Inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List is intended to provide cultural sites with additional protection in times of armed conflict and to gain international protection support. art news UNESCO has been contacted for comment.
