Journal of Architectural Conservation
Volume 17, Issue 3, November 2011
Stone Restoration Practice in Palestinian Territories: A Case Study from Jerusalem
Shadi Sami Ghadban and Marwan Ashhab
Paper Summary
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.
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Figure 2 The phenomenon of salt crystallization on the walls of famous buildings in the Old City of Jerusalem: a) Bab Al-Silsila Gate, Al-Aqsa Mosque, 2009; b) Spafford Children’s Center, West Elevation, 2009; c) Al-Ashrafeyyah School, Al-Aqsa Mosque, 2009; d) Armenian Museum, 2010.
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Dr Shadi Ghadban
Dr Shadi Ghadban is a teaching staff member at the Department of Architectural Engineering/Faculty of Engineering at Birzeit University, Palestinian Territories. His academic and research activities are oriented towards the problems of local traditional architecture. He has wide experience as a consultant and project manager for a number of rehabilitation and restoration projects in several major Palestinian cities, including Bethlehem and Hebron.
Marwan Ashhab
Marwan Ashhab is a civil engineer, holding a Master’s degree in tRestoration and Rehabilitation of Buildings from the Higher Institute of Islamic Archaeology, Jerusalem University. In 1998 he established his own consulting office and works as a contractor for rehabilitation and restoration of old buildings in the city of Jerusalem. He is a research fellow at the Department of Architectural Engineering at Birzeit University.
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