Characterization of Natural Stones used for the Construction of the fort Ikoma Historical Building in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

The conservation and restoration of heritage buildings, mostly Fort Ikoma in Serengeti National Park (SENAPA), Tanzania, requires a thorough understanding of the materials originally used. This study aimed to investigate the physical, chemical, mineralogical, and petrographic properties of the natural stones used in Fort Ikoma's construction using standard methods. The analysis revealed that the fort was constructed using two types of natural stones: reddish-brown shale and light-grey limestone. The shale, recommended for building, consists mainly of quartz (30%), dickite (19%), illite (12%), sepiolite (7.4%), calcite (6%), and nepheline (5.4%). The limestone, accepted as a building stone, was of very high purity, composed primarily of calcite (64.3%), with quartz (8.7%), vaterite (6.5%), and dolomite (5%) as significant constituents. For the restoration of Fort Ikoma, it is recommended to use limestone for the foundation and lower walls and shale for the superstructure. These findings enhance understanding of historical materials and support the restoration of Fort Ikoma and similar structures.