ABSTRACT: This study investigated the effects of different post-fire cooling types. Heated rocks were cooled (1) at room temperature to represent natural environmental conditions, (2) below zero to represent cold seasons, and (3) in water to mimic fire fighting scenarios. The study used, 3 different carbonate rocks frequently used as building material; travertine, marble, and limestone. Thin section studies and XRD analyzes were carried out to determine the mineralogical composition of the rocks and the mineralogical changes after the heating-cooling processes; SEM images were used to reveal the microfracture development; and geo-mechanical experiments were conducted to determine the changes in physical and strength properties. After cooling, it was observed that, rather than the formation of new micro- cracks, existing micro-cracks grew. The strength properties of the rocks were more affected by cooling processes than the physical properties, and the lowest strength values were observed after cooling in water. While the tensile strength of travertine and marble decreased 70-80% after sudden cooling, this value did not exceed 30% in limestone containing clay. The results show that rapid cooling generally causes more thermal damage than slow cooling due to the growth of existing micro-cracks; and that cooling has a greater impact on the thermal degradation of rocks than heating, and this effect increases depending on the clay content.