The United Nations compared images taken before and after the attacks to identify sites that had been damaged. As reported by The Guardian, an initial assessment found damage at 207 cultural sites, and this includes a total of 88 religious sites, 15 museums, 76 buildings of historical or artistic interest, 18 monuments, as well as 10 libraries from across the country.
“Our conclusion is it’s bad, and it may continue to get even worse,” UNESCO’s cultural and emergencies director Krista Pikkat noted, adding that “cultural heritage is very often collateral damage during wars, but sometimes it’s specifically targeted as it’s the essence of the identity of countries.”