War takes toll on historic landmarks in Tabriz, Maragheh
Following the latest wave of strikes, damage has extended into Iran’s cultural heritage sector, with a number of historical sites affected. Preliminary reports indicate that 149 heritage sites across 20 provinces have sustained damage, highlighting the scale of threats facing the country’s historical assets. East Azarbaijan Province has not been spared, with both the Measurement Museum (Salmasi House) in Tabriz and the Blue Dome of Maragheh among the impacted landmarks.
The deputy head of East Azarbaijan Province’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department has outlined the extent of damage inflicted on the two sites during recent military attacks by the US and Israel on Iran.
Vahid Navadad told ISNA that assessments of the damage are ongoing. He explained that in the early days of the attacks — around March 9, 2026 — simultaneous airstrikes by Israeli and US forces on the cities of Maragheh and Tabriz caused blast waves that resulted in minor damage to the two historical structures.
“One of the affected buildings is the historic Salmasi House (Measurement Museum) in Tabriz, which sustained damage to various sections,” he said. “In addition, the highly valuable orosi windows — an essential architectural feature and a key element of the building’s identity — were also damaged.”
Regarding the Blue Dome of Maragheh, Navadad noted that parts of the structure’s decorative elements were affected, with some sections detaching from the body of the monument and falling to the ground.
He added that the provincial Cultural Heritage Department promptly prepared an initial report and carried out documentation in the early days following the incident. As a first step toward restoration, specialized studies are now underway by qualified consultants, including academic and technical experts, to determine appropriate intervention methods.
“For the Salmasi House, these studies are being conducted using scientific and research-based approaches, incorporating modern reinforcement techniques,” Navadad said. “The building is being modeled to help define precise restoration and structural strengthening methods.”
Similar conservation and restoration studies have begun on the Blue Dome’s decorative elements and are currently in progress. Once these studies are completed, their findings will be reviewed by the provincial Cultural Heritage Technical Council. Pending approval and allocation of the necessary funding, restoration work will begin.
Navadad concluded that preliminary field inspections have provided an initial estimate of the damage, with a final assessment to be announced after the completion of detailed studies and the determination of intervention strategies.