Rosa Lasaponara1,Abdelaziz Elfadaly2, Wael Attia2 1CNR, Istituto di Metodologie per l’Analisi Ambientale. Contr.da S. Loja, Tito Scalo (PZ) Italy. 2NARSS, National Authority for remote sensing and space sciences, Cairo Egypt

Abstract Luxor is famed for its archaeological heritage which includes Madinat Habu, Ramesseum temple, Hatshepsut temple, Luxor temple, El karnak temple, and Esna temple. Most of these monuments are composed of weakly silicified sandstones with high

porosity. The foundations of the temples were preserved for a long time by the Nile flood sediments this sediment cover protected the stone foundations from wind erosion and groundwater deteriorations.

This scientific paper aim to using designs by Remote sensing and GIS techniques help to predict the situation in the future by entering data which extracted from analysis of satellite images and then using software packages (GIS) in forecasting and inference

situation in the future, and the importance of using these scientific techniques returns to assessment of the environmental status and finding accretion solutions for it.

Cultural sites are being continuously threatened by natural hazardous processes and human intervention. There is a general agreement on the need for their protection for present and future human generations. The approach to do is unclear technologically

inadequate and (or) lacks financing. Pollution, urban encroachment, population pressure and major development projects are seriously impinging on the precious heritage material values of man in innumerable cases.

Remote sensing and GIS provide a historical database from which hazard maps may be generated, indicating which areas are potentially dangerous. The zonation of hazard must be the basis for any environmental risks management project and should

supply planners and decision-makers with adequate and understandable information.

Introduction Esna shale layer is described as a dark gray soft rock moderately compact, creamy, buff colored shale composed of carbonate minerals(calcite, dolomite or magnesium calcite) clay minerals (illite and montmorillonite) and halide minerals. It is known mostly

from the large outcrops founding the vicinity of the city of Esna, 50 km south of the Valley of Kings (M.E.A. EL Salam, 2002).

The Temples of Esna have been seriously affected by weathering factors. Daily and seasonal cycles of dry- and - wet, acting on the surface and inside the stone block foundation, are causing aggressive deterioration of the sandstone foundation. Water rising

by capillary action in the pore space between stone foundations vertically and horizontally may cause deterioration as far the sub-soil water table is very closed to the surface. The fluctuation of water level and wind are the main factors eroding the temple

foundation.

Esna city is located upstream Esna barrage and south new Esna barrage. Nile water level upstream the barrage is constant all over the year. Esna city was affected by seepage from Nile. In addition there are residential areas supplied with drinking water

networks without sewerage networks. Use of non-lining septic tanks produces large quantities of seepage water, increasing the water level. Esna city, in Upper Egypt, was selected as a study area because it suffers increase of shallow groundwater levels

after rehabilitation of Esna barrage (Zeinab El-Fakharany, Akram Fekry, 2014).

Objective The objective of this paper is to identify sources of groundwater rise and the risks of the agriculture and the urban sprawl in Esna city and its impact on the Esna temple to propose mitigation measures for reducing and solving these problems. Also to detect

the impact of the new Esna barrage on the groundwater in the Temple area, followed by prediction to evaluate the effect of different mitigation measures for lowering shallow groundwater levels.

The description of The Temple The existing temple of Esna was built during the reign of Ptolemy V (205 – 180 BCE) and decorated by his successor, Ptolemy VI (180 – 145 BCE), during that

ruler’s core- gency with Ptolemy VIII and Cleopatra II (170 – 163 BCE). The cartouches of the three associated rulers can be found in the dedication inscription

Esna 3, directly under the cornice of the Ptolemaic façade, During Ptolemy VI’s reign the whole temple seems to have been decorated in relief or in (painted)

line drawing (for an interpretation of the Ptolemaic façade, A testimony to his comprehensive decoration activity can be found on the exterior of the rear wall of

the Ptolemaic façade, where red traces can be recognized on the smoothed sandstone blocks. These traces form the outlines of an offering scene, dated to

his reign.

The decoration of the hypostyle hall follows a homogenous plan that was never modified or, according to an alternative opinion, was only changed during or

after, the reign of Antonius Pius Therefore the scenes of the temple foundation ritual, which were decorated under four different rulers (Vespasian, Domitian,

Septimius Severus, and Caracalla), offer no evidence for the history of the temple’s construction of the Ptolemaic and Roman examples in Egypt, The columns,

unlike those of contemporaneous temples, are decorated mainly with texts rather than representations. Indeed, one text, a hymn , is dedicated to the columns

themselves, indicating that the columns were considered deities , Such eulogistic praise is also given to the capitals of the columns in an inscription located on

one of the half-columns of the façade , The columns’ capitals constitute an impressive architectural element of the hypostyle hall.(Fig.1)

PHYSIOGRAPHIC PARAMETERS Climatic Conditions

Luxor area occupies a portion of the extremely arid belt of Egypt. The available climatic data for the study area were collected from a meteorological station located in the Luxor district. The data cover the period 1978-1987

Temperature

In the Luxor area, the summer average maximum temperature is 42°C, whereas, the average minimum temperature is 23.1 °C. The winter average maximum temperature is 23 °C and the average minimum temperature is 5.75 °C.

Fig(1): Description of the study area

PHYSIOGRAPHIC PARAMETERS Relative Humidity

The relative humidity values play an important role in controlling the rate of evaporation, evapo-transpiration and condensation.

Evaporation

In the study area, the maximum monthly evaporation rate is 14.6 cm (recorded in June) and the minimum monthly value is 3.1 cm (recorded in December).

The annual mean evaporation during the period 1978-1987 is estimated at 98.2 cm.

WindSpeed and Rainfall

The maximum recorded wind velocity during the period 1978-1987 was 5.9 km/hr. Rainfall in the Luxor area is insignificant throughout the year.

TOPOGRAPHYAND GEOMORPHOLOGY The area under investigation shows various topographic features, and is characterized by a gentle slope towards the north. Ground surface elevations vary from about 72 m above mean sea level (a.m.s.l) near the course of River Nile (in the central part of the Nile River) to about 80 m (a.m.s.l) on the fringes of the Nile Valley. Gabal El Gornah (Thebes) is located in the western side of the River Nile. The area under study is characterized by the following geomorphic units: The alluvial plains, The structural plateaus and The hydrographic pattern. (Fig.2)

Methodology

Fig(4): Data acquisition covering the study area in the past (1987.2003 and 2015)

METHODOLOGY

The present study involves the collection of Topographic, Hydrogeological-sheets and the required satellite imagery for the study

area. Processing the imagery and image interpretation for development of Land use/ Land cover maps is done in Envi5 and Arc

GIS10.1 software. The obtained maps are studied and analyses to detect the change in urban and agriculture sprawl. .(Fig.3)

Future prediction is done based on past data, and detects the negative impact of building the new Esna barrage which leads to

increase the water level near the temple of Esna to make creative solutions using the integration between Remote sensing data

GIS program.

Data collection

Was used a total of satellite images as (TM, TM+ "Land sat 8") which belonging to the satellite U.S. Landsat (Landsat), by three

visuals covering the study area in the past (1987.2003 and 2015) (Fig.4)

Fig(3): Description of methodology

Urban Encroachments:

The unplanned urban encroachments around the temple have negative impacts on the temple for the following reasons:

The sightseeing of the area become very limited and become invisible.

There are no sewage systems, so all the untreated sewage domestic water drains directly to the ground which causes

an increase of the sub-soil water level flowing towards the temple low area.

A groundwater flow from the Nile towards the direction of the temple .(fig.5)

Agricultural Encroachments:

After the construction of Aswan High Dam a new reclaimed areas has been added to the cultivated lands. The agricultural expansion toward the monuments areas such as Esna Temple which is located at the fringe of the desert and having nearly the ground

elevation of the newly cultivated lands particularly at the eastern parts of these temples. The farmers use excess water to irrigate the Sugarcane crop who consumes more water to grown up.

The sub-soil water level increase cause deterioration and salinization of soil around the temple area (dry sabkha) and causing aggressive deterioration of the sandstone rock foundation. Fig(6)

Traffic Impacts:

The tourism traffic parking area is very close to the temple. The vibration due to the traffic may cause some problems

such as rock (block) instability. It is recommended to move the parking area a little distance away from the temple or

used electrical small, light vehicles.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS AND MONUMENT DETERIORATION Climate Impacts:

As temperature and confining pressure change daily (day and night) and seasonally, water and moistened air are

cycled through the sandstone block foundations. Thermal stresses due to temperature fluctuations also accelerate the

production and expansion of cracks perpendicular to the stone foundations. Wind and sand blast generated by strong

wind accelerate not only flaking-off but also abrasion effect.

Fig(5) The total urban area surrounding Esna temple

SURFACE WATER SYSTEMS

Two types of surface water systems exist in the Luxor area. The first one occupies the young alluvial plains and comprises the River Nile, canals and drains. The second system occupies the old alluvial terraces, and comprises natural dry drainage lines

(wadis) which dissect the structural plateau and extend into the old alluvial terraces. This system becomes active during occasional, short and intense rain storms.

River Nile, Canals and Drains

The stretch of the River Nile that crosses the area under investigation

is about 64 km. It runs in a N-S direction except in some parts of the valley, where it takes a NW-SE trend. A close relation exists between the direction of the River Nile and the structural conditions of its valley. The first structural setting is recorded where the

River Nile follows the Gulf of Suez trend; whereas the second one is observed where the River Nile takes the Gulf of Aqaba trend. This relation helps to explain the size of the River Nile floodplain and its relation with the structural conditions underneath it. The

floodplain is wide where the River Nile follows the Gulf of Aqaba trend, while it is narrow where the river takes the Gulf of Suez trend. This conclusion is based on recent work by El Hemaly (1991) and Kotb (1992). Based on the above discussion, it can be

concluded that the River Nile floodplain in the Luxor area is wide because the river takes the Gulf of Aqaba trend. In Luxor area it is also observed that the floodplain in the eastern bank is wider than in the western side (E.A.Zaghloul,2008). Fig(7)

Fig(7) Hydrology map for the

study area

Groundwater Deteriorations:

The Temple of Esna has been seriously affected by weathering factors. Daily and seasonal cycles of dry- and - wet, acting on the surface and inside the stone block foundation, are

causing aggressive deterioration of the sandstone foundation. Water rising by capillary action in the pore space between stone foundations vertically and horizontally may cause

deterioration as far the sub-soil water table is very closed to the surface. The fluctuation of water level and wind are the main factors eroding the temple foundation. Fig(8)

MANAGEMENT OF CULTURAL HERITAG RESERVES Cultural sites are being continuously threatened by natural hazardous processes and human intervention. There is a general agreement on the need for their protection for present and future human generations. The approach to do is unclear technologically inadequate and (or) lacks financing. Pollution, urban encroachment, population pressure and major development projects are seriously impinging on the precious heritage material values of man in innumerable cases.

A- New Site selection

According to the environmental status around the Esna temple it became very necessary to choose another suitable places to transfer the temple to it, GIS-modelling methodology is proposed to identify the alternative sites . The methodology involve the phase of GIS technique to identify the potential feasible sites based on external impact factors such as (Nile river, DEM, Esna temple, Canals, Drains, Agricultures, Valleys and Road) to the most suitable site we find that the best place as in the next images .(Fig.9.10.11)

Fig(8) The groundwater deterioration on

The temple

.

B - According to El-Etr (1995) it is believed that the right approach to handle the situation is the application of the concept of “biosphere reserves “as proposed and adopted by the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Program (MAB). This objective can be met by a “Zonation System “that applies different management policies to different zones. In the central most significant “core “area, human intervention is kept to the minimum. The core is to be surrounded by one or more “buffer zones” in which supplementary research and training activities may be carried out.(Fig.12)

1- As the result of environmental risks around the Esna temple working to Choose a appropriate sites to the temple

of Esna by using site selection Modeling to Find multiple scenarios to transfer the temple to suitable area (as the

case of Philae temple).

2- Building Optimum land use mapping, up-to-date land cover/use map of Study area and intensive digital land

resources date base for the study area to monitor environmental problems surrounding the study area using Data

analysis and estimating urban and agriculture sprawl rate on the expense of Study area.

3- Because The level of the groundwater has become a huge danger on the area of the temple after the

establishment of new Esna barrages, we must be working drainage systems covered with a layer of sponge to

withdrawal the groundwater or digging up Trenches at spaced distances of the temple to withdraw the wastewater

slowly then withdraws the wastewater from this trencher even do not happen cracked for the walls of the temple.

4- As a result of the direct impact of the agricultural wastewater which loaded with chemicals, pesticides and salts

must be changing the streams of these canals to avoid these risks.

"Using remote sensing and GIS techniques for monitoring the environmental status the problems and the solutions around Esna temple at luxor, Egypt"

Fig(9) Inputs for site

selection to the study

area

Fig(10) The model of

site selection for the

study area

Fig(11) the most suitable

new sites for the temple (Fig.12 ) Generalized zonal system (after

UNESCO, 1983).

Fig(2): Topographic map

Fig(6) The total agriculture area surrounding Esna temple