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Golestan Palace opens damaged heritage site to international media
More than 150 international journalists, photographers and television crews visited Tehran’s UNESCO-listed Golestan Palace this week to document restoration work and assess damage sustained during recent attacks, according to Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts.
The ministry organized the visit while foreign media delegations were in Iran to cover ceremonies marking allegiance, farewell and funeral observances for the martyred Leader, IRNA reported.
Reporters toured the palace’s Mirror Hall and other affected sections wearing protective helmets, a visible sign that conservation work remains under way. Scaffolding stood alongside the palace’s celebrated mirror mosaics, creating what officials described as a striking juxtaposition of Persian architectural splendor and painstaking restoration efforts.
Heritage experts and site guides briefed visiting media on the extent of the damage, the historical and artistic significance of the complex, and ongoing stabilization and restoration plans. Journalists filmed damaged areas, documented conservation work in progress and interviewed specialists about preservation standards and the palace’s global cultural importance.
The visit turned the Qajar-era complex into a temporary hub of international cultural reporting, with live broadcasts and video reports transmitted directly to newsrooms around the world. Dozens of cameras and satellite transmission units filled the historic site as foreign correspondents sought to provide detailed, documented accounts of the palace’s condition.
Officials said the tour was intended not only to showcase restoration efforts but also to show the broader responsibility of safeguarding humanity’s shared cultural heritage in times of conflict.