Earth and Man National Museum

Национален музей - Земята и хората

Earth and Man National Museum is one of the largest mineralogical museums in the world. The museum was founded on 1 January 1986 and on 19 June 1987 the exhibition halls opened to visitors.

Museum covers mineral kingdom on Earth in different aspects - environment, source of raw materials and energy, subject of scientific knowledge, the subject of emotional and aesthetic impact.

The museum is located in the centre of Sofia in a restored building - a monument of culture from the end of 19th century. It's functionally reconstructed 4000 m2 area houses exhibition halls, depositories, laboratories, a video-hall and a conference-room. The reconstruction project belongs to the architect Hristo Ganchev. The artist Ivan Radev made the interior design and the original murals in the museum hall were painted by Theophan Sokerov. Over the years, and today the museum work many experts in various fields of earth sciences. Museum has library, exhibition, conference and video rooms, and a number of laboratories.

The museum's collection is organized into seven fund representative samples of which are set out in 7 permanent exhibitions. In the exhibition halls are organized and temporary exhibitions of specimens of particular interest or theme.

Means of establishing the museum and the acquisition of mineral specimens are entirely by donations from individuals, companies and institutions.