Structural Assessment of the Historical Buildings of Sorghatmesh in Cairo, Egypt

Abstract Built in 1356, the school, mosque, and mausoleum complex of Prince Sorghatmesh is a major Bahri Mamluk monument that has been affected by long-term environmental deterioration and undocumented interventions. This study presents an integrated diagnostic framework for structural assessment that combines three-dimensional (3D) laser scanning, nondestructive testing, laboratory testing, field measurements, and experimentally validated finite element modeling. High-resolution geometric data and measured mechanical properties were used to construct a numerical model calibrated against local in situ load testing, which showed good agreement between the numerical and measured responses, thereby supporting the reliability of the simulation framework. Under vertical loading, the courtyard arches were identified as the most critical structural components, exhibiting peak stresses of 4.17 MPa. However, under lateral loading, the minaret’s lateral displacement reached about 35 mm, and there was a clear concentration of stresses at the marble columns supporting the top of the minaret. Groundwater intrusion was found to reduce material mechanical properties by approximately 42%, accelerating localized deterioration in lower wall zones. Nevertheless, the global structural response remained within ranges typically observed for comparable historic masonry systems, indicating that only localized replacement of deteriorated elements is required. The proposed workflow provides a transferable and minimally invasive approach for evidence-based preservation and first-level structural assessment of historic structures.