Stone Restoration Practice in Palestinian Territories

Abstract

The aim of the research covered in this paper is to study the current practice applied to the repair of stonework in the historic buildings of Palestine, with a focus on this practice within the boundaries of the Old City of Jerusalem. The repair process requires the existing condition of the stones to be identified along with the causes of their deterioration. It is also necessary to define how ongoing deteriorative factors should be monitored given the affects of such processes on the rehabilitation and maintenance of the stone. Particular attention will be paid to the phenomenon of porosity as indirectly measured through water absorption and density. The methodology implemented for the paper includes a survey of the literature, direct observations through site visits, the photographing of certain cases and the collection and analysis of samples from various sites, as well as from the building materials available on the local market. All the samples were subjected to laboratory testing at Birzeit University in order to determine the properties of the materials to be used in the restoration process.