The Ministry of Culture and Sports has approved the preliminary inspection file of the Museum of Minerals and Rocks, submitted by the Hellenic Survey of Geology and Mineral Exploration (H.S.G.M.E.) through its Legal Representative, Mr. Andreas Tsokos, General Director.
The strong scientific focus, the remarkable educational work of the Museum, and the completeness of the submitted application file were the three key pillars that led to the successful completion of the first stage of the evaluation process for the Museum’s recognition by the Ministry of Culture and Sports.
The administration of the H.S.G.M.E., aiming for the official recognition of the Museum of Minerals and Rocks by the Ministry of Culture and Sports, is planning and promoting in the near future the upgrade of the Museum’s infrastructure, collections, scientific and educational orientation, as well as its social role.
The next step is the second and most demanding stage of the recognition process: the submission of the Inspection Application to the Ministry of Culture and Sports, for which the H.S.G.M.E. is already working intensively.
A few words about the Museum
The museum collection of minerals, rocks, and ores of the H.S.G.M.E. (formerly IGME) has been enriched over the years under the supervision of the Department of Mineralogy and Petrology of the Directorate of Mineral Resources and Mining, forming the core of the Museum of Minerals and Rocks of the H.S.G.M.E. The Museum has been housed and operating since 2008 in a specially designed area within the new building facilities of the H.S.G.M.E. at the Olympic Village in Acharnes.
The collections of the H.S.G.M.E. Museum are among the most significant in Greece. The main exhibition of the Museum of Minerals and Rocks includes minerals, rocks, ores, fossils, mining and metallurgy artifacts, mineral-based jewelry, maps, and models. The Museum’s archival and exhibition materials are used for scientific, educational, and recreational purposes in collaboration with other scientific, cultural, and social institutions.
This press release is dedicated to the late Dr. G. Oikonomou, Mineralogist–Geologist and Head of the Department of Mineralogy and Petrology at the H.S.G.M.E., whom we lost recently, as the promotion and recognition of the Museum of Minerals and Rocks was a lifelong dream of his.