PARIS - Both Iran and the United States must observe a convention obliging states to preserve cultural sites, the United Nation's cultural agency said on Monday (Jan 6), after US President Donald Trump threatened to target Iran's cultural heritage, AFP reported.
Unesco director general Audrey Azoulay highlighted that both Teheran and Washington had signed a 1972 convention prohibiting states from taking "any deliberate measures which might damage directly or indirectly the cultural and natural heritage" of other states.
At a meeting with the Iranian ambassador to the Paris-based organisation, Azoulay said that both countries had signed a 1954 convention for the protection of cultural property in the event of armed conflict, Unesco said.
Azoulay "stressed the universality of cultural and natural heritage as vectors of peace and dialogue between peoples, which the international community has a duty to protect and preserve for future generations".
Here are some of the sites that could be targeted:
PERSEPOLIS
The most outstanding site is considered by many to be the ancient Achaemenidian capital of Persepolis in south-west Iran, founded by Darius I in 518 BC, and a major attraction for foreign tourists.
The monumental complex is a major attraction for foreign tourists with its marble palaces and temples.
NAQSH-E JAHAN SQUARE
Also known as Imam Square, it is a square situated at the centre of Isfahan. Constructed between 1598 and 1629.
GOLESTAN PALACE
One of the oldest historic monuments in Teheran, the palace belongs to a group of royal buildings and gardens built in the 18th and 19th centuries.
CITADEL OF BAM
This is the largest adobe building in the world, located in Bam, a city in south-eastern Iran. The origin of this enormous citadel on the Silk Road can be traced back to the Achaemenid Empire and even beyond.
HISTORIC CITY OF YAZD
The city is the capital of Yazd Province, south-east of Esfahan. Because of generations of adaptations to its desert surroundings, Yazd has unique Persian architecture, and is also one of the largest cities built almost entirely out of adobe.
SHAH CHERAGH MOSQUE
This mausoleum's name translates as "King of the Light" as its interior is entirely covered in intricate geometric designs of mirrored mosaic tile, creating a cosmic lightshow.
VANK CATHEDRAL
Established in 1606 and also known as the Church of the Saintly Sisters, this cathedral is located in the New Julfa district of Isfahan.
It is commonly referred to as the Vank, which means "monastery" or "convent" in the Armenian language.
BRIDGES OF ISFAHAN
The long, covered bridges of Iran's former capital, mostly built during the 17th century, have fascinated visitors from around the world.
They are feats of engineering but also pure functionality, with one serving a dam and shaded meeting place.
SHEIK LOTFALLAH MOSQUE, ISFAHAN
Not the largest mosque in the city but one of the most ornate, since it was built for the royal court rather than the general public.
Its interior contains some of the finest tilework to be found anywhere in the world - testament to millions of hours of painstaking labour.
IMAM REZA SHRINE, MASHHAD
The largest mosque in the world, and one of the holiest sites in the holiest city in Iran, with over 25 million visitors a year.
The complex is one of the tourism centres in Iran and has been described as "the heart of the Shia Iran".
TOMB OF DANIEL
The traditional burial place of the biblical and Islamic prophet Daniel. Various locations have been named for the site, but the tomb in Susa, Iran, is the most widely accepted.
The tomb was first chronicled in the 12th century and is still a popular pilgrimage site.
GONBAD-E KAVUS
The Iranian city known historically as Gorgan/Hyrcania. The modern name, meaning "the tower of Kavus", is a reference to the most imposing ancient monument in the city.
It is the capital of Gonbad-e Kavus County, in the province of Golestan in north-east Iran.
Source: The Guardian, BBC, Wikipedia
