Articles | Volume 14, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-14-55-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-14-55-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
16 Jan 2026
Research article |
| 16 Jan 2026
| 16 Jan 2026
Safeguarding Cultural Heritage: Integrating laser scanning, InSAR, vibration monitoring and rockfall/granular flow runout modelling at the Temple of Hatshepsut, Egypt
Chair of Landslide Research, TUM School of Engineering and Design, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
Mohamed Ismael
Department of Mining, Petroleum, and Metallurgical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
UNESCO Chair on Science and Technology for Cultural Heritage, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
Mostafa Ezzy
Department of Mining, Petroleum, and Metallurgical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
UNESCO Chair on Science and Technology for Cultural Heritage, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
Markus Keuschnig
GEORESEARCH Research Institute, Wals, Austria
Alexander Mendler
Chair of Non-destructive Testing, TUM School of Engineering and Design, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
Johanna Kieser
Chair of Landslide Research, TUM School of Engineering and Design, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
Michael Krautblatter
Chair of Landslide Research, TUM School of Engineering and Design, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
Christian U. Grosse
Chair of Non-destructive Testing, TUM School of Engineering and Design, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
Hany Helal
Department of Mining, Petroleum, and Metallurgical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
UNESCO Chair on Science and Technology for Cultural Heritage, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
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Short summary
The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut is one of Egypt's key heritage sites but is potentially threatened by rockfalls from a 100 m high limestone cliff. We transferred established monitoring techniques from alpine environments to this UNESCO World Heritage Site and evaluated their performance in a historically sensitive desert environment. Our study presents the first evidence-based event and impact analysis of rockfalls at the Temple of Hatshepsut, providing vital data for future risk assessment.
The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut is one of Egypt's key heritage sites but is potentially...
