Between Heritage and Technology: The Use of Artificial Intelligence in Climate Modeling to Support the Sustainability of Cultural Tourism at Archaeological Sites

In the heart of historic Cairo, where the sun beats down on ancient stone and the air shimmers with heat, a quiet struggle is taking place between two vital needs: preserving the past and welcoming the present. For centuries, the great monuments of the Islamic world have stood as testaments to human ingenuity, designed with thick walls and open courtyards that naturally cooled the air long before electricity existed. Today, however, these same sites face a new challenge. As global temperatures rise and more visitors arrive, the delicate balance of the indoor climate is shifting. Too much heat can damage fragile artifacts and drive tourists away, while the mechanical air conditioning systems used to fix the problem can destroy the very history they are meant to protect. The solution lies not in choosing between old and new, but in finding a way to let them work together. This is the realm of microclimate management, a field dedicated to understanding the specific weather patterns inside and around buildings, and it is here that a new tool is emerging: artificial intelligence. By teaching computers to learn from the behavior of the past, researchers are discovering how to make historic places comfortable for modern people without altering a single stone.

A researcher led by Huda Al Baz at Horus University Egypt has applied this thinking to one of Cairo's most significant landmarks, the Sultan Qalawun Complex. Built in the thirteenth century, this sprawling site includes a school, a hospital, and a mausoleum, all centered around a beautiful open courtyard. The complex is a masterpiece of Mamluk architecture, but its open design, which once allowed cool breezes to flow through, now struggles against the intense summer heat and the crowds of thousands of visitors. The researcher wanted to know if they could use modern technology to improve the comfort of these spaces without compromising their historical integrity. They set out to create a digital twin of the site, a precise three-dimensional computer model that could mimic the real-world behavior of wind, sun, and heat. Instead of relying solely on traditional, slow-moving computer simulations that take days to run, they introduced a layer of artificial intelligence to speed up the process and find the best solutions faster.

The researcher began by gathering real-world data. They placed sensors in the school's courtyard and surrounding areas to measure the actual temperature and humidity levels throughout the day. They also analyzed occupancy patterns, using these as variables to model how human presence might affect the air, knowing that visitor behavior was not directly measured in the present study and is therefore considered a projected outcome. With this baseline data in hand, they built a detailed digital model of the complex, capturing the shape of the walls, the position of the windows, and the texture of the stone. They then used a specialized environmental simulation program to run thousands of scenarios, testing how different factors like natural ventilation, the placement of trees, and the addition of temporary shade would affect the air temperature. To make sense of this massive amount of data, they trained machine learning algorithms to act as a shortcut. These algorithms learned the patterns from the slow, detailed simulations and could then predict the outcome of new design ideas in seconds rather than hours.

The results of this digital experiment were striking. The researcher found that they could significantly improve the thermal comfort of the site simply by adjusting how air moved through the space and by adding temporary, reversible elements. They discovered that strategic placement of temporary fabric shading structures could block the harsh midday sun from hitting the stone floors and walls, while carefully positioned vegetation helped cool the air through evaporation. By optimizing the way windows and openings were used to catch the wind, they could create natural breezes that carried heat away from the visitors. The study showed that these passive strategies could reduce the number of hours visitors felt uncomfortably hot by a substantial margin, bringing the environment closer to a neutral, pleasant state. Crucially, all of these changes were designed to be temporary and non-invasive, meaning they could be removed at any time without leaving a trace on the historic fabric of the building.

One of the most significant findings was the speed and efficiency of the new method. By using artificial intelligence to guide the simulation, the researcher was able to cut the computational time required to analyze these scenarios by approximately forty percent compared to traditional methods. This efficiency is vital for heritage managers who need to make quick, informed decisions about how to care for their sites. The study confirmed that the computer models were highly accurate, matching the real-world sensor data with a high degree of precision. This validation gave the researcher confidence that their digital predictions would hold true in the physical world. They found that the best approach was a combination of measures: using the deep shadows of the courtyard walls, adding temporary shade where the sun was most intense, and ensuring that the air could flow freely through the corridors. These interventions did not require tearing down walls or installing heavy machinery; they were subtle adjustments that respected the original design while adapting it for a warmer, more crowded future.

The implications of this work extend far beyond a single school in Cairo. The researcher has developed a digital framework that can be applied to other historic sites in hot, dry climates, from the deserts of the Middle East to the ancient cities of the Mediterranean. By proving that artificial intelligence can help balance the needs of conservation with the demands of tourism, the study offers a new path forward for protecting our shared heritage. It suggests that we do not have to choose between keeping a site as a frozen museum or turning it into a modern attraction. Instead, with the right tools, we can create environments where visitors feel comfortable enough to stay longer and learn more, while the ancient stones remain safe and undisturbed. The success of the Sultan Qalawun project demonstrates that the future of heritage management lies in this quiet collaboration between the wisdom of the past and the intelligence of the present, ensuring that these magnificent places continue to thrive for generations to come.