TEHRAN -- Iran is considering preserving the ruins of historic buildings damaged in the war as open-air “living museums,” while the country faces a restoration bill exceeding 10 trillion tomans for 149 damaged heritage sites.
The proposal, outlined by Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Reza Salehi-Amiri, would preserve selected damaged structures in their existing state, using architectural interventions such as glass enclosures or other protective structures to allow the public to see and experience them. 
The idea comes as Iran moves from emergency protection toward assessing the long-term restoration of heritage sites damaged across 20 provinces.
Among the locations under consideration are historic buildings in central Tehran, particularly around the Golestan Palace and the historic bazaar district. 
Buildings including the former gendarmerie, Radio Tehran, the judiciary building and a former police station were among structures affected in the war, raising questions over whether their remains should simply be cleared away or retained as part of the city’s historical landscape.
For Salehi-Amiri, preserving selected ruins could offer an alternative to completely rebuilding damaged structures. 
Under the proposed concept, the remains would be carefully stabilized and incorporated into specially designed public spaces, creating what he described as “living museums” where the damaged architecture itself would remain part of the experience.
The proposal places the question of war-damaged heritage within a broader debate in contemporary conservation: whether a damaged historic structure should be restored to an earlier appearance or whether traces of destruction should remain visible as part of its history. 
In Tehran, where layers of architectural and political history coexist within a dense urban fabric, the decision could have particular significance.
The scale of the damage has also made restoration a major financial undertaking. Iran initially estimated that restoring the affected heritage sites would cost around 7.5 trillion tomans based on 2025 prices. 
With rising construction costs, materials and other expenses, the ministry now expects the bill to exceed 10 trillion tomans. 
Emergency stabilization and debris removal have largely been completed, while specialists are studying restoration methods and preparing for the next phase of work.
The damage includes some of Iran’s most important architectural and cultural landmarks. The Golestan Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Tehran, was among the sites affected during the terrorist war, while major monuments and historic areas in Isfahan also sustained damage. 
Earlier assessments during the war had already identified extensive damage to museums and historic monuments across the country.
The ministry has identified three principal domestic and international sources for financing the restoration.