SAEDNEWS: The “Chehel Sotoun” Garden Museum in Isfahan, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, suffered significant damage from waves of attacks and bombings.
According to the History and Culture Service of Saed News, citing IRNA, the mirrorwork decorations of the columned veranda at the Chehel Sotoun Garden Museum in Isfahan, its rooms adorned with valuable paintings, and its exquisite doors and windows have suffered significant damage due to the bombing wave on March 8.
The Chehel Sotoun Palace, registered as part of the “Nine Iranian Gardens” on the UNESCO World Heritage List, was protected under UNESCO’s so-called “Blue Shield” protocol. Nevertheless, the intensity of nearby bombings inflicted substantial harm on the palace’s precious decorations, including its iconic mirrorwork and paintings.
Iranian mirrorwork, which had only recently been inscribed on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list, has seen parts of the Mirror Room collapse under the force of explosions, destroying some of the most exquisite examples of this traditional art.
Much of Chehel Sotoun’s decorative elements date back to the Safavid era, making the damage particularly severe. Because the building’s nature is entirely ornamental, restoration of these elements is expected to be extremely costly.
Additionally, the palace’s double-layered roof has been damaged, and numerous wooden doors and windows have been dislodged. The surrounding “ear” rooms of the palace have also sustained serious damage.
Structural concerns are mounting: the columns of the main pavilion have shifted, twisted, and experienced settling. Experts who conducted an on-site assessment warned that, given the current structural damage, further subsidence of the palace could occur in the coming days.
