Study Correlation between Physical-Mineralogical Properties of Sandstone Used in Ptolemaic Temples in Upper Egypt and Its Weathering Resistance

This article focuses on study of a relation between physical-mineralogical properties of sandstone used in Ptolemaic temples in Upper Egypt and its resistance of deterioration factors affecting it. In the present study, sandstone samples were collected from four sites;namely the temples of Dendera, Esna, Edfu and Kom Ombo which are located in Upper Egypt. Polarized light microscope (PLM), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) were used to determine mineralogical properties, microstructure, and chemical compositions of the deteriorated sandstone samples, addition to physical properties tests;results of the study confirmed that sandstone samples containing a high percentage of salts, clay minerals and iron oxides have been significantly affected by deterioration factors. The deteriorated sandstone samples were treated by paraloid B72 3% enhanced with Nano silica 5% to improve the physical properties of stone. Results of the study indicated that the samples which were consolidated by Nanoparticles based on acrylic Copolymers (Paraloid B72 and its Nanocomposite with Nano silica) achieved the best results for improvement of its physical-mineralogical properties. This is the ultimate aim of the study for the purpose of conservation and sustainability of building materials of the temples.

Explanation of the Damage to the Royal Family’s Cemetery in Historic Cairo and Examination of the Building Materials

The cemetery of the royal family, who ruled Egypt from 1805 to 1952, is one of the masterpieces of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Historic Cairo. It is a complex building from massive stone masonry walls supporting hemispherical domes and is very rich with the marble decorative elements. Unfortunately, it suffers nowadays from serious cracking due to on-going structural damage. Almost all the structural elements are cracked. Besides, the continuous rise in the groundwater table affects both its structural stability and aesthetics. A detailed inspection was carried out to identify and explain all the manifested damage by the structural elements of the cemetery. The differential settlement damage was found to be very noticeable in the form of many diagonal cracks that are active and threaten the overall stability of the cemetery. The construction history was investigated and found to have a clear effect on the noticed damage. Examination of the construction materials and deterioration products was carried out by inspecting representative samples of the stone, the marble, the mortar, the plaster and the salt. They were examined using different analysis techniques including the Polarized Microscope, the Stereo Microscope, the X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) provided with Energy-Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) unit. This examination helped in identifying the type of the used stone, the mortar components, the types of salts affecting the structure, and the deterioration manifested by the marble. It seems that the cemetery needs an urgent conservation project to stop the deterioration and keep it safe for the next generations.