UNESCO says war in Middle East threatens cultural heritage of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey

Cultural heritage sites in at least 15 countries — including Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey — are at risk due to the ongoing hostilities in the Middle East, according to a statement by UNESCO.

It is noted that since the start of military operations on Feb. 28, sites of “outstanding cultural heritage value” have been damaged in Iran, Israel and Lebanon.

UNESCO also warns that “several other sites are also at risk.” In particular, potential damage could affect sites in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Yemen and Cyprus.

UNESCO assured that it “will continue sharing the geographical coordinates of at-risk sites with all relevant parties in order to prevent damage to them.”

The organization had previously reported receiving information about damage to Iranian sites considered part of world heritage. According to Iranian authorities, more than 120 historical monuments in the country have been damaged by airstrikes, 43 of them located in Tehran.