Collections of Exhibits at gaio-ORAMA
The visitors of our Museum, of all ages, have the opportunity to browse through a rich collection of unique geo-exhibits (minerals, rocks, ores, fossils) from Greece and many other parts of the world known for their mineral wealth. Overall, our visitors come across the invaluable heritage of the research activity by the first NTUA Geology Professors, which commenced in the 19th century. The original collection was then enriched by later professors, researchers, and private donors, and enhanced by purchases of unique minerals from international mineral fairs.
The permanent exhibition of geo-exhibits includes, among others, a rare collection of the Smithsonian of Lavrio, a unique iron pyrite from Halkidiki weighing more than half a ton, lapis lazouli from Afghanistan, amethyst from Brazil, fluorite from China, and a collection of fluorescent minerals which enchant our young, and not only, friends. It also includes fossils that cover a period of 540 million years, such as trilobites, the most famous fossil after dinosaurs, ammonites and hippurites, teeth of Megalodonts, the largest shark, dinosaur bones, teeth and bones of mammals (mammoth etc.) of Greece.
The Museum’s collections are enriched by donations from organizations, companies, and individuals:
- Donation by Professor G. Panagiotou (Brazilian amethyst, Polish amber, Milos Island obsidian, Afghanistan lapis lazuli, Clanny-Davy coal mine safety lamp, Acetylene underground mine lamp, Electric capsule firing machine, The code of the first simulation program of the Greek Mine SIMKAR (Simulation of the extraction-transfer-deposition works of the Ptolemaida Heart Lignite Mine) developed in the context of the preparation of the M.Sc. Thesis of 1979, etc.)
- Donation by Dr. Th. Katsaros, Restorer of Antiquities and Works of Art at the Byzantine and Christian Museum (mineral-pigments, mining lamps from antiquity until today)
- Donation by Ch. Solomou, Geologist, private collector (charred tree trunk from Kalavrita)
- Donation by V. Stergiou, private collector (Lavrio minerals)
- Donation by M. Samouchos, Metallurgical Mine Engineer, private collector (various minerals)
- Donation by M. Fitros, Geologist, private collector (Lavrio minerals)
- Donation by N. Nterakopian, private collector (Armenian obsidian, opal from Lesvos petrified forest etc)
- PPC / Public Power Corporation (Ptolemaida lignites), SnB (Kaolinis, Betonitis), GEOELLAS (Attapulgites), GREEK GOLD (metallic minerals), PARNASSOU BAUXITES (laterites), The DELPHI DISTOMON SINGLE MEMBER MINING S.A. (Electric lamp for individual lighting of an underground mine with a rechargeable battery of liquid elements, Underground mine individual lighting lamp with rechargeable dry cell battery)
Curation of Collections
- Collection of Minerals, rocks, industrial minerals and rocks, energy raw materials: M. Perraki, I. Oikonomopoulos
- Collection of ores: S. Triantaphyllidis
- Collection of fossils: E. Lykoudi
- Collection of mineral-pigments: M. Perraki, Th. Katsaros