Ali Jafarabadi the CEO of BookCity has sent a letter to the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO, reporting damages sustained by bookstores and book‑related cultural spaces following the recent military attacks by the United States and Israel.
In the letter, the BookCity network is introduced as a nationwide, non‑profit and non‑governmental cultural institution that, over more than three decades, has developed into a network of nearly one hundred bookstores across Iran. Beyond providing public access to Persian and international publications, BookCity branches function as cultural hubs hosting literary discussions, book launches, educational workshops, and public dialogue programs that contribute to everyday cultural life and the promotion of reading.
According to the report, six BookCity branches in Tehran—Central, Bahman, Al‑Ghadir, Almas, Iranshahr, and Haft‑Howz—sustained physical damage during the recent attacks. The damages affected building structures, interior spaces, equipment, display systems, and book inventories. Reports from booksellers and partners in the publishing sector also indicate that other bookstores and actors within the broader book ecosystem may have experienced disruptions or varying degrees of damage, while assessments in some locations are still ongoing. Due to the current circumstances, all cultural, educational, and social events normally hosted in BookCity spaces have been temporarily suspended.
Referring to UNESCO’s mission to promote culture, knowledge, and access to education, the letter emphasizes the importance of documenting the damages affecting bookstores and recognizing them as part of the cultural infrastructure that sustains reading culture and public access to knowledge.
In this context, BookCity has invited the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO to support the documentation of damages and disruptions affecting bookstores, acknowledge the role of bookstores as an essential part of everyday cultural infrastructure, facilitate dialogue among cultural institutions and professional networks in the book sector, and consider frameworks that may support the recovery and continuity of cultural activities related to books and reading.
The letter concludes by noting that the purpose of sharing this report is to ensure that the condition of bookstores and cultural book spaces—institutions that quietly sustain reading, dialogue, and intellectual exchange in everyday life—remains visible within broader discussions about cultural life and its protection in times of crisis.
Tags: UNESCO
