Weathering damage on Pharaonic sandstone monuments in Luxor-Egypt

The Pharaonic stone monuments in Upper Egypt represent cultural heritage of outstanding universal value. All monuments have suffered weathering damage. In the year 2000 an Egyptian–German research co-operation was started aiming at the systematic investigation of stone weathering on the historical monuments in Upper Egypt as a contribution to monument preservation. Pilot studies were carried out on the Karnak Temple and on the Luxor Temple, composed of sandstones originating from the Gebel el-Silsila region. First results on the petrographical properties of these sandstones and their state of weathering damage on the Pharaonic temples in Luxor are presented.