From Ukraine to Gaza: How modern war is erasing human history | GRAVITAS

Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the world has witnessed a series of devastating conflicts. The human cost of these wars is immense. But there is another casualty that receives far less attention: history itself.

History does not live only in textbooks. It survives in monuments, museums, ancient places of worship, archaeological sites and cultural landmarks—physical reminders of where humanity came from.

Yet wars in recent years have put hundreds of these sites at risk across Ukraine, Iran, Gaza and Lebanon.

Ukraine: A Cultural Heritage Under Fire

Take yourself back to March 2022. The world of culture was left in shock after Russian forces were accused of bombing the prominent theatre in Mariupol, where civilians had reportedly taken shelter. The city was subsequently captured by Russia.

More recently, Kyiv's 11th-century Saint Sophia Cathedral suffered damage from the impact of a nearby strike blamed on Russia. The cathedral and its surrounding architectural ensemble are recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

And the destruction has extended beyond buildings. In a recent Russian drone strike on a warehouse in Ukraine's northeastern city of Kharkiv, reports said around eight million books were destroyed.

According to UNESCO, at least 545 cultural sites in Ukraine had been confirmed damaged by the end of July. The list includes hundreds of historically significant buildings, museums and monuments.

Iran: Ancient Heritage Caught in a Modern Conflict

Iran's historic sites have also suffered damage amid aerial attacks. One example is Tehran's centuries-old Golestan Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Reports said windows, doors and mirrors at the historic complex were damaged during U.S.-Israeli strikes.

Within just over a month of active hostilities, reports indicated that 149 historical sites across Iran had suffered varying degrees of damage, including 70 sites in Tehran. More than 50 museums were also reportedly affected.

Gaza: A Heritage Landscape Devastated

In Gaza, the scale of destruction has been extraordinary. The Great Omari Mosque, the largest and oldest mosque in Gaza City, was reduced to ruins after being damaged in Israeli strikes in 2023. The site has a history stretching back centuries. Its library and an adjacent cultural centre containing thousands of historic documents were also heavily damaged.

In October 2023, an Israeli airstrike hit an area near the Greek Orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church, where displaced people had sought shelter. Hamas said the strike killed people inside the church compound.

Since October 2023, nearly 128 buildings of historic significance in Gaza have reportedly suffered heavy damage. The destruction also includes religious sites, monuments and archaeological locations.

Lebanon: Ancient Sites in the Crossfire

Lebanon's cultural heritage has not escaped the conflict either.

In April, UNESCO expressed deep concern over damage in the vicinity of the ancient Beaufort Castle, a historic fortress with centuries of history.

The threat to heritage is not simply about damaged stone, broken windows or destroyed buildings.

When a museum burns, irreplaceable objects can disappear.

When an archive is destroyed, generations of knowledge can vanish.

And when an ancient monument is reduced to rubble, humanity loses a physical connection to its own past.

What Happens When History Disappears?

Wars are fought in the present—but their consequences can reach thousands of years into the past.

The destruction of cultural heritage can erase evidence of civilizations, traditions, languages, art and collective memory that can never truly be recreated.

Protecting heritage during war, therefore, is not merely about preserving buildings.

It is about protecting humanity's shared memory.

As conflicts continue across different parts of the world, a more concerted international effort to safeguard cultural heritage has become more urgent than ever.

Because when a piece of history disappears, the loss belongs to all of us.