Abstract
The environment has many severe effects on the Archaeological sites all over the world, it varies from country to the other, there are agriculture, desert and marine environments, the monument is neonate its environment, from the first, the building materials were from the environment, also the deterioration factors are from the environment, this research sheds the light on the marine environment's effect on the deterioration of archaeological sites in the Mediterranean sea coast ( Alexandria – Egypt as an example), the effects vary from the relative humidity, air temperature variations, wind, sea levels rise, underground water, air pollution, rain and tides. The case study tombs in Alexandria which suffer from the marine environment's effect are Kom El - Shoqafa catacombs and El-Shattbi catacombs, the deterioration factors related to the marine environment cause the degradation of these catacombs and this precious cultural heritage.
Highlights
There is diversity in the air temperature degrees in Alexandria, in the winter; they reach to 13.6°C in January, slow rising in February and March till August which they reach to 26°C and return to decrease again, the rising of air temperature levels will help in the crystallization of salts, insects growth in the archaeological sites and being good reagent in the chemical reactions especially the conversion of air pollution' gases to destructive acids
Relative humidity in Alexandria is high in the summer due to the evaporation processes caused by high air temperature degrees and wind, the average relative humidity degrees ranges from 65 – 70 % - figure 4, the rising of relative humidity levels is very dangerous to the monuments because it helps in the deterioration with many deterioration factors like: salts, air pollution and microorganisms growth, the result will be the loss of this valuable cultural heritage
Alexandria distinguishes with the high rates of the rain in Egypt, they reaches to 64.6 mm in the winter and this rate is high comparing to the other governorates in Egypt, the high rain levels are a good source of humidity in archaeological site, it mean, there is a good environment to the microorganisms growth and air pollution' gases conversion to acids
Summary
Alexandria is located in the north of Egypt on the Mediterranean Sea coast, its space reaches to 2879 Km2, Alexandria has morphological determinants, from the north, there is the Mediterranean sea and Maryot Lake in the south, it characterizes by its climate – (figure 1), the case study catacombs in Alexandria are Kom El- Shoqafa and El Shattbi. Kom El – Shoqafa catacombs return to the second century AD, they characterize by their wonderful decorations which collect the Egyptian and Greco - Roman ornaments, the catacombs consist of three floors, the first one is full of underground water, the catacombs include the main well, Rotunda well, the Festivals hall, statues and the burial chambers – ( figure 2). Rabea Radi Abdel Kader et al.: Marine Environment's Effect on the Deterioration of Archaeological Buildings in the Mediterranean Sea Coast (Alexandria – Egypt as an Example)
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