Gpr Surveys At Some 700 Years-Old Structures In The Old City Of Cairo, Egypt

Remediation and restoration plans of the Ancient Egyptian Heritage are currently taking<br>much attention from local governmental and international organizations. Khan El-Khalily<br>region, which is located in Al Azhr area, is one of the important archeological places in the old<br>city of Cairo. It contains several famous structures (such as palaces, schools, graves, houses, and<br>fountains) that had been built seven centuries ago. Such constructions are now suffering from<br>fluctuations of groundwater and increasing ambient vibrations due to daily human activities as<br>well as traffics. Several incidents for wall-collapse, ground subsidence, buildings differential<br>settlement, and elevated groundwater were reported in Khan El-Khalily region. Information on<br>subsurface conditions, such as presence of voids, water tanks, foundations, and antiquities, at<br>these structures are considered valuable for the designed remediation and restoration plans.<br>The non-destructive GPR-surveys, using 500 MHz antenna, were performed at three<br>selected sites in Khan El-Khalily region. At each site, a CMP-survey was conducted to<br>determine the radar-wave velocity. The interpreted radar records of the first site, which<br>represented by a palace, could differentiate between subsurface fill-materials (silt and rock<br>fragments) and cement fill that found at depth interval of 1.0-2.0m. Remains of buried<br>foundations could also be mapped at depth of 2.7m. The second site is a conference hall that<br>contains ancient fountain in its center. The fountain itself was surveyed by using flat wooden<br>sheets. GPR-records showed the pipe that had been used to supply water to the fountain. The<br>third site is an ancient grave of important value to the Middle Egyptian History. Several<br>supporting pillars and even the stairs leading to the grave entrance could be mapped from GPRrecords.