Welcome to the website of the Mineralogical Museum gaio-ORAMA!
The Mineralogical Museum gaio-ORAMA of the School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering of NTUA, is one of the newest members of the Greek University Museums (Government Gazette 1214 / 10.04.2019). Its purpose is, through targeted actions and activities, to be a window of the School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering of NTUA, open to society, with the following objectives:
- promoting the mineral wealth of Greece
- informing the public and especially the younger generations about the role and importance of mineral raw materials in covering the vital needs of modern society,
- creating awareness about subjects related to the environmental and climate change
- familiarizing students with the basic principles of circular economics in the extraction, exploitation, use/reuse of mineral raw materials
- informing students about the studies at the School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering
- providing comprehensive support to the educational/cultural role of the University, as key points of promotion and extroversion of its cognitive and exponential wealth.
The visitors of the Museum have the opportunity to get acquainted with the mineral raw materials for the production of metals such as aluminum, nickel, iron, to be informed about modern applications of minerals, to follow the journey of colors through mineral-pigments from antiquity to today, to encounter animal and plant species that have disappeared from the earth millions of years ago, and to approach evolutionary and ecological questions about the origin and evolution of man and about the future environmental/climate changes of the planet.
The museum exhibits have been housed since 2010, in a modern building at the campus of the National Technical University of Athens in Zografou, which constitutes a highly aesthetic, dynamic space of education and research. An interactive desk, 3D TV-monitors, two projection systems and laptops/tablets are amongst its other ever-evolving digital equipment. Recently indeed, a series of training Lego robots that were designed and built as part of research projects, were added to its interactive equipment. These robots, which amaze our youngest visitors, simulate machines for research, detection, extraction, and processing of mineral raw materials. In combination with the development of digital interactive applications, the way of classification and presentation of geo-exhibits aims at their dynamic presentation and continuous activation of the visitor’s interest. With further development of material targeted by age group, the ability of the School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering of NTUA is strengthened, in order to address the pre-university education levels and to be “open” to society.
Experience to date shows that for most students, if not all, this visit to the Museum is their first contact with the University.