Several of Isfahan's iconic landmarks have been damaged in waves of US and Israeli strikes on Iran, according to Iranian officials.
Rouhollah Seyyed Al-Asgari, deputy for cultural heritage of Isfahan, said that the Chehel Sotoun Palace, the Rakib Khaneh Mansion, the Timurid Hall, and the Ashraf Hall had all sustained damage in US-Israeli attacks, with the windows of the Ali Qapu Palace shattering due to nearby bomb blasts.
Al-Asgari said Isfahan, a province in central Iran where a nuclear facility is located, had suffered a "bloody night" of bombing, with several landmarks, particularly those attached to important political sites that could be targets of Israeli-US bombs.
This includes the historic Ashraf Hall, which is attached to the building for Isfahan's Centre of Provincial Political Authority.
The Chehel Sotoun Palace, renowned for its intricate decorations, frescoes, grand halls, and mirror pool - as well as its paintings depicting scenes from Persian mythology - is also located near the governor's office in Isfahan.
Witnesses said the blasts have damaged the roads surrounding the palace as well as trees and buildings near it.
One video appears to show that the strikes have caused a large crack to emerge down one side of the palace’s 17th Century frescos, which showed the Iranian Safavid ruler Shah Tahmasp and the Indian Mughal Humayun.
According to reports, the proximity of government buildings to archaeological sites has long been a point of concern in the country.
In the Naqsh-e-Jahan Square, also referred to as Meidan Emam, authorities documented that the Ali Qapu Palace had its doors and windows shattered, while the 17th century Jami’ Abbasi Mosque, had sustained damage to its iconic turquoise tiles.
Tehran’s only UNESCO World Heritage site, the Golestan Palace, is among the sites damaged. There are 29 UNESCO sites in Iran, with several of them found in Isfahan, where the Safavid dynasty (1501-1736) designated it as the capital during the country’s revival following Mongol and Timurid invasions.
The city is also home to cathedrals, synagogues, bridges, and bazaars, which are at risk of damage from the intensifying strikes.
Authorities in the country have been scrambling to preserve the sites and protect artefacts from further damage as attacks intensify.
Before the 28 February strikes, which triggered the war, authorities in Iran had taken some precautions in protecting sites by moving objects to secure locations, reports say.
Last week, authorities began installing the internationally recognised Blue Shield symbol at historic sites, outlined in the 1954 Hague convention and used to mark cultural sites that should be protected in times of war or conflict.
Despite the use of the symbol in the west of the country, the joint US-Israeli strikes still caused damage to the third-century Falak-ol-Aflak Citadel in Khorramabad on Sunday.
Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts said on Monday, urged UNESCO, the UN and other international bodies to implement mechanisms to protect the sites, as well as to send experts, observers, and journalists to assess the scale of damage.