From Natural to Cultural Landscapes: Geological and Petrological Evidence of the Karstified Lithofacies in Samaan Cave, Gebel Mokattam, Cairo, Egypt

From Natural to Cultural Landscapes: Geological and Petrological Evidence of the Karstified Lithofacies in Samaan Cave, Gebel Mokattam, Cairo, Egypt | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article From Natural to Cultural Landscapes: Geological and Petrological Evidence of the Karstified Lithofacies in Samaan Cave, Gebel Mokattam, Cairo, Egypt Sameha G. Abdel-Ghafar, Abdel-Moneim A. Mahmoud, Amira Emam Khatta, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9226263/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 7 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study evaluates the petrological and diagenetic controls on the karstification of the Eocene Maadi Formation and examines their role in the transformation of Samaan Cave (Mokattam, Cairo) from a natural to a cultural landscape. Utilizing an integrated approach of petrographic analysis, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), three distinct lithofacies were identified: nummulitic micrite, sparse biomicrite, and ferruginated dolostone. Results indicate that karstification was primarily governed by post-depositional meteoric water dissolution and dedolomitization, evidenced by the development of iron-rich terra rossa paleosols and multi-stage calcite cementation (sparry, drusy, isopachous, and blocky textures). The presence of mouldic porosity and karstified solutional breccia further supports intensive subaerial exposure and fluid circulation under oxidizing conditions. Structural features, particularly NW–SE fault systems, significantly influenced dissolution pathways and cave development. Notably, the study highlights how these geological predispositions facilitated human modification since 1971, ultimately reshaping the cave morphology into a unique cultural cave church. This research provides critical insights into the diagenetic evolution of karst systems and the intersection between geological processes and anthropogenic activity Karstified Lithofacies Natural Landscapes Geological Evidence Petrological Evidence Samaan Cave Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviews received at journal 22 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 20 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 20 Apr, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 19 Apr, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 01 Apr, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 26 Mar, 2026 First submitted to journal 25 Mar, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9226263","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":627875846,"identity":"67bf7f85-1850-4605-99cd-7cf741fa92f4","order_by":0,"name":"Sameha G. 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