From sprawling Persian palaces to intimate religious shrines of extraordinary architectural delicacy, Iran is home to 22 UNESCO World Heritage cultural sites and hundreds more historic sites of global importance. The ruins of the ancient capitals of Pasargadae and Persepolis still convey the cosmopolitan power of the great empire that built them, while the innovative infrastructure that sustained the country’s ancient desert cities still waters them today. Millions of pilgrims flock to its monuments to Shia Islam, and entire Iranian cities have been designated sites of universal historic importance by UNESCO.
Which is why President Trump’s weekend series of tweets warning that the U.S. will target Iranian cultural sites has been met with fierce criticism in cultural heritage circles.
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