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A methodological approach to define the state of conservation of the stone materials used in the Cairo historical heritage (Egypt)

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Abstract

The use of stone materials in cultural heritage and architecture represents a practice that has its roots in ancient times. Stone buildings, depending on the construction materials and their location in the urban context, are particularly vulnerable to weathering phenomena. These can be often accelerated by changes in environmental conditions linked mostly to the anthropic activities. In this way, the present work is addressed on the minero-petrographic and geochemical characterisation of samples taken from the built historical heritage in Cairo (Egypt), related to seven monumental areas. These sites have been chosen based on their historical importance, type of material, state of preservation and position in the Cairo context. The construction materials used and their degradation products were studied comparing the results obtained by means of different analytical techniques such as polarised light optical microscopy (POM), ion chromatography (IC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and the carbonaceous fraction, detected by using the thermogravimetry (TG). The results achieved demonstrated that black crusts and salt crystallisation represent the most common and damaging degradation products affecting all the monumental sites. Moreover, the environmental pollution produced by industrial activities and vehicular traffic has been identified as the main cause of these processes, followed by a marginal contribution of natural sources such as the sea spray. The data collected provide useful information to plan efficient conservation strategies in the future.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Ecology and Earth Sciences (DiBEST), University of Calabria, 87036, Arcavacata di Rende, CS, Italy

    Natalia Rovella, Silvestro Antonio Ruffolo, Michela Ricca & Mauro Francesco La Russa

  2. Department of Science and Engineering Mathematics, Faculty of Petroleum and Mining Engineering, Suez University, Suez, 43512, Egypt

    Nevin Aly

  3. Department of Chemistry, University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy

    Valeria Comite & Paola Fermo

  4. Geosciences Institute IGEO (CSIC-UCM), Doctor Severo Ochoa 7, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Monica Alvarez de Buergo

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  1. Natalia Rovella
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  2. Nevin Aly
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  3. Valeria Comite
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  4. Silvestro Antonio Ruffolo
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  7. Monica Alvarez de Buergo
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  8. Mauro Francesco La Russa
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Correspondence to Mauro Francesco La Russa.

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The research is part of the Executive program for scientific cooperation between the Italian Republic and the Arab Republic of Egypt, entitled “Characterization of black crusts formed on historical buildings under different levels of ambient air pollution in Cairo and Venice”

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Rovella, N., Aly, N., Comite, V. et al. A methodological approach to define the state of conservation of the stone materials used in the Cairo historical heritage (Egypt). Archaeol Anthropol Sci 12, 178 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-020-01126-x

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