This paper is based on a research on the problems of salt attack and rising damp in heritage masonry buildings. Amongst common building defects occurrences in heritage buildings, salt attack and rising damp are considered as the most challenging, particularly in building conservation. Rising damp and salt attack, a worldwide phenomenon, are major causes of decay to masonry materials. Moisture and salts in masonry walls can result in damage. The presence of water-soluble salts in porous building materials is one of the principal problems of conservation. Salt attack and rising damp together pose a serious threat to buildings especially with regard to load-bearing walls constructed of brick, stone and mortar. The problem of salt attack is closely associated with rising damp. On its own, rising damp can make buildings unsightly and unpleasant to occupy. The situation is made much worse if there are appreciable quantities of soluble salts present, because the rising damp will carry salts up into the masonry to were the damp evaporates. Moisture from the rising damp makes the salts existing in the building material soluble, or the ground water which contains salts finds its ways through the building wall. Salt damp is caused when moisture from the ground is carried up into the wall of a building. This process involves the movement of water from a high concentration, being the ground, to a low concentration, being the porous wall, which is called capillary action. Rising damp occurs as a result of capillary suction of moisture from the ground into porous masonry building materials such as stone, brick, earth and mortar. They may cause unsightly deterioration of building exteriors and interiors as well as possible building structure failures if left untreated. Their crystalliz tion is in fact the cause of those phenomena of deterioration that so often appear on surfaces: lack of cohesion, scaling, flaking and bulging. When the water transporting the salts through porous materials evaporates, due, for example, to changig climatic conditions, the solution becomes more concentrated. As soon as it becomes supersaturated, the salts crystallize giving rise to both efflorescences on the surface and/or sub-efflorescences below the surface layer. The impact of salt damp is often worse on external wall surfaces, especially those exposed to direct sunlight, where evaporation is higher. This moisture then evaporates on or just below the wall surface leaving the salt residues behind. There the salts are left behind and can often be seen as a white efflorescence on the wall surface. When these salts grow as crystals within the pores of the masonry they can disrupt even the strongest material, leading to fretting and crumbling of the surface. These formations gradually contribute to building dilapidation and reduce the building aesthetic values. The telltale signs of salt attack in a wall are: fretting mortar or stone or brick, bubbling paint, crumbling plaster, and the presence of moisture on the surface of the wall. It is very import nt to know the salt content of deteriorated surfaces both to understand the causes of decay and plan conservation strategies. The nature of the salt provides us with information about its origin and therefore, indicates the possible conservation treatment to adopt. Sources of salts can be the building materials themselves (sand, bricks, mortar), or external sources (soil, materials used for conservation treatment, pollutants in the atmosphere, sea spray, de-icing salts scattered on roads in winter, and products generated by the metabolism of micro- organisms). The results of this research showed that almost all masonry contains soluble salts, principally sulphates, nitrates, chlorides and carbonates of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and ammonium and so, all liquid water present in walls is more or less a diluted salt solution. Sources of these salts may be natural or human induced. But, not all salts generate decay. This depends on their solubility, hygroscopicity, mobility and the hydration level of the r crystalline form.

This paper presents the results of the Identifying the binder and pigments used in the mural paintings in RahimAbad Historic Garden and Mansion in Birjand. Birjand was one of the most important governmental strategic cities in Qajar era (1789–1925A.D) and an important branch area of ancient Silk Road which connected India to Europe. Though many monuments, especially historical gardens remained in Birjand. RahimAbad Historic Garden and Mansion was the resident of Qaenat ruler to consider politics, businesses and accommodating foreign guests. The most important part in the Architectural decoration of RahimAbad Historic Garden and Mansion is mirror-encrusted decorations, stucco and mural paintings. Due to diversity in building decorations and multiplicity of constructing periods in RahimAbad Historic Garden and Mansion, identification of pigments used in mural paintings is a great evidential assistance in extracting chronological information. scanning electron microscopy in combination with energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (SEM-EDX)، Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Polarized light microscopy (PLM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and handheld X-Ray Florescence (micro-XRF) were used for the characterization of the compound and structure of the paint layers of samples taken from mural paintings. AccordThis paper presents the results of the identification of the binder and pigments used in the mural paintings in Rahim Abad Historic Garden and Mansion in Birjand. Birjand was one of the most important governmental strategic cities in Qajar era (1789–1925 A.D.), and an important branch area of ancient Silk Road, which connected India to Europe. Many monuments, especially historical gardens have been remained in Birjand. Rahim Abad Historic Garden and Mansion is one of this gardens, which in the period of Amir Ismail Khan Shaukat Molk, was the location of Qaenat ruler to consider politics, businesses and accommodating foreign guests. The most important part in the Architectural decoration of Rahim Abad Historic Garden and Mansion is mirror-encrusted decorations, stucco and wall paintings. Due to diversity in building decorations and multiplicity of constructing periods in Rahim Abad Historic Garden and Mansion, identification of pigments and materials used in wall paintings is of a great evidential assistance in extracting chronological information. Wall painting is one of the Iran arts that based on the signs of old paint can be pursued to pre-history. One of the most important issues in the study of historical paintings, especially wall painting, is the identification of the nature of paintings used to decorate the walls. Pigments identification is also important not only from the perspective of archeology, but also in terms of the history of art and knowledge of degradation processes and the development of monument conservation strategies is also important. Scanning electron microscopy in combination with energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (SEM-EDX) ،Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Polarized light microscopy (PLM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and handheld X-Ray Florescence spectroscopy (micro-XRF) were used for the characterization of the compound and structure of the paint layers of samples taken from mural paintings. In fact, chemical and physical analysis, provides useful information from spectrum of pigments in a region and recognizing color preparation techniques and its application. Also before proceeding restoration, the accurate information from the chemical composition of materials used in object is required. According to the obtained results, mixture of gypsum and calcite as a substrate layer, red lead (Pb₃O₄), mixture of malachite (CuCO₃.Cu(OH)₂) and Prussian blue)Fe₄(Fe[CN]₆)₃), ultramarine (Na_8-10Al₆Si₆O₂₄S_2-4), and mixture of two metals, copper and zinc, as the pigments were used. Also, an adhesive like animal glue was that of common materials in Qajar period, as well as used to substrate color. Such pigments are further evidence that the mural painting of this monument are from the late Qajar. Oil was used as binder or varnish in this painting and there is in all of the samples. One of the interesting points of the materials used in the paintings was the application of a mixture of pigments to create colors with different tonalities. Another point is the use of imported pigments such as Prussian blue, along with other traditional pigments that were common in of that era. Also, the microscopic examination of golden color indicates the presence of chalcopyrite in this pigment. These compounds exist due to the corrosion of copper metal in golden color, and usually appears in golden colors obtained from two metals alloy, such as copper and zinc, by creating green color in a golden background.ing to the obtained results,mixture of gypsum and calcite as a preparatory layer, red lead (Pb₃O₄), mixture of malachite (CuCO₃.Cu(OH)₂) and Prussian blue ) Fe₄(Fe[CN]₆)₃), ultramarine (Na_8-10Al₆Si₆O₂₄S_2-4), and mixture of two metals, copper and zinc, as pigments were used. Also, an adhesive like animal glue was that of common materials in Qajar period, as well as used to substrate color. Such pigments are further evidence that the Mural Painting of this Monument are from the late Qajar. Oil was used as binder or varnish in this painting and there is in all of colors.