Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Masonry Minarets: Turkey, Egypt and Iran

Masonry minarets are important assets of the cultural heritage of the seismically active countries in the Middle East. By their slender geometry and material properties of the masonry, they are particularly vulnerable to earthquakes. This study aims to provide an extensive literature review on the seismic vulnerability assessment of minaret typologies in Turkey, Egypt, and Iran. The architectural and structural features, and vulnerable sections of minarets are analyzed. A parametrization of the geometric features of different minaret typologies is introduced for a structured limit analysis approach in the seismic vulnerability assessment of masonry minarets.