Key facts
- Russia's aerial attacks in August significantly increased, damaging cultural sites in Ukraine, including six Unesco-protected sites in Odesa.
- Ukraine's Ministry of Culture recorded 148 damaged or destroyed cultural heritage sites in August.
- The Great Omari Mosque in Gaza was destroyed in an Israeli strike in 2023, which the Israeli military stated was targeting Hamas.
- The Meroe Pyramids in Sudan are at risk due to halted preservation work amid civil war.
- Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi is the only individual successfully prosecuted by the ICC for directing attacks that destroyed cultural sites in Timbuktu.
- The Aliph Foundation provided millions of dollars to Ukrainian museums to safeguard valuable items.
The ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, and Iran have resulted in significant destruction of cultural heritage, prompting renewed calls for accountability. In Ukraine, thousands of drones and aerial attacks in August led to damage to at least 148 cultural heritage sites, including Unesco-protected locations in Odesa.
Activists have attempted to hold Russia accountable through complaints to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for cultural destruction and looting, but no indictments have been issued. Bijan Rouhani, a senior researcher, noted that while evidence is abundant, jurisdiction and political will are major obstacles to prosecution. He stated that no state actor has ever been tried for this offense, and that for many governments, heritage is a secondary concern unless useful for propaganda.
The war in Gaza has also seen extensive damage, with the Great Omari Mosque, a significant historical site, largely destroyed in an Israeli strike in 2023. The Israeli military said the strike targeted Hamas. Tareq Abu Dayyeh, a Gaza-based seller of antiquities, expressed heartbreak over the destruction of cultural sites, stating, "When your past is destroyed, you have no present."
In Sudan, the civil war has imperiled the Meroe Pyramids, a Unesco World Heritage Site, by halting preservation efforts. Iran has also reported damage to over 100 sites, including Unesco-listed Golestan Palace and Naqsh-e Jahan Square, during aerial attacks in February.
International efforts to protect cultural heritage date back to the 1954 Hague Convention, which requires states to safeguard cultural property during armed conflict. A 1999 protocol further strengthened protections for sites of immense cultural significance. The ICC was established with a mandate to prosecute deliberate attacks on cultural buildings as war crimes. However, only one case, involving Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi for attacks in Timbuktu, has been successfully prosecuted.