Iranian architect's white flag photomontages respond to Trump's threats against UNESCO sites

In response to US President Donald Trump's threats against Iranian cultural sites, architect Mohammad Hassan Forouzanfar created a series of photomontages depicting white flags raised over ten UNESCO World Heritage sites in Iran. The images, shared on Instagram, show surreal pink-tinted views of sites including Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque in Isfahan, the Pasargadae archaeological site near Persepolis, the Zoroastrian Fire Temple in Yazd, and the tomb of poet Hafez in Shiraz. Forouzanfar's work went viral across social media and international news outlets. The project emerged after Trump threatened to target Iranian cultural sites, prompting UNESCO to issue an alert and the Pentagon to clarify that international agreements protecting cultural heritage would be respected. Forouzanfar also has a broader series, 'Expanding Iranian Ancient Architecture,' which digitally merges ancient Iranian sites with contemporary architecture by Zaha Hadid, Daniel Libeskind, Ieoh Ming Pei, and Norman Foster. In his accompanying text, Forouzanfar argues that Iranian culture is 'liquid'—a product of millennia of invasions and influences—and cannot be destroyed by bombs. He cites Ariasasp Dadbeh's view that Iran's cultural productivity has historically made it avoid war, as it has much to protect. The architect also criticizes the neglect of historical monuments in Iran, calling for updated conservation strategies. The article was published on Artribune on January 2020.