The history of the gaio-ORAMA

The history of the Mineralogical Museum gaio_-ORAMA of the School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering is interwoven with the establishment of the first laboratories of the NTUA, one of which was the Laboratory of Mineralogy – Petrography – Geology, in 1885, by Professor K. Mitsopoulos, initially housed in the Averof building of Patission Complex.

The next milestone in the history of the Museum, in 1965, is the systematic classification of the collection by the narrator of that period, Ioannis Papageorgakis, with the contribution of the auxiliary teaching staff of the Chair, with strong influences from German-speaking universities and university museums.

In 1970, with a total of 7.500 exhibits counted, the Museum was relocated to the Gini building under the supervision of Professor Augoustidis and the curators N. Fitrolakis and A. Livaditi, until 1973, when the don E. Boskos took over the supervision of the Museum.

20 years later, in 1993, the collection is housed in a new space in the Zografou Campus, on the ground floor of the School. A space, however, very small for the size of the collection, making it difficult to promote as well as to guard and protect it. For this reason, intensive efforts are commenced for the institutionalization of the Museum and the construction of a new space.

After about 20 years of intensive efforts by the Administration of the School and the Department of Geological Sciences, in 2009, the President of the School during that period Professor S. Stamataki, lays the first stone of the new modern building. At the same time, the collection is enriched with new samples, the Museum is strengthened with new equipment, and the first contacts with Mineralogical Museums of Greece and abroad begin. In 2010, the building is completed, the exhibits are classified in their new showcases, and they are recorded from the beginning. Educational material for the visitors is gradually developed and the Museum receives, timidly, the first visits of primary and secondary schools. At the same time, the Museum is a living laboratory for the students of the School.

In 2017, after a new upgrade of its infrastructure and on the initiative of the Dean of the School, Professor D. Kaliambakos, the Museum hosts part of the celebrations for the 70 years anniversary since the founding of the School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, along with highlighting the opening of the Exhibition of Historical Documents.

Since then, the museum organizes or participates in open thematic events, such as the International Museum Day, the Researcher Night, the celebration of St. Barbara and also hosts many events of the School.

In 2019, the Mineralogical Museum gaio-ORAMA, is institutionalized as a University Museum (Government Gazette 1214 / 10.04.2019).