Assarel Mine

Mineral Resources of Bulgaria permanent exposition presents the mineral wealth of our country: ferrous, base and precious metals ores; industrial minerals and decorative rocks; non-conventional mineral resources. The exhibits include both the typical ore mineralization and the host rocks.

Gypsum, Koshava mine

The exposition shows about 500 out of the 3 100 mineral samples kept in this fund.

Compact Galena, Borieva Mine

The extraction of copper nowadays is concentrated in Srednogorie zone. In showcases E227 and E228 one can see samples from Chelopech and Assarel deposits, both of them still active.  The first is the biggest gold-copper deposit in Europe nowadays, while the second is the biggest open pit in Bulgaria. Showcases E 229 and E230 exhibit copper ores from mines near Bourgas and Malko Tarnovo, which are already exhausted.

Copper-pyrite ore, Chelopech deposit

Showcase E233 exhibits samples from Chiprovtsi, Ruen and Sedmochislenitsi polymetal deposits. Showcases E224 and E225 present  wolfram and molybdenum ores from Govezhda, Grancharitsa, Martinovo, Elatsite and Medet deposits.

Quartz from alluvial sediments, high quality piezo quartz and polycrystalline silicon, Novoseltsi quarry

Showcase E231 includes samples of goldbearing ores from the already closed Zlata mine and Chelopech, Elatsite and Chala deposits, Ada Tepe (part of Khan Kroum deposit) and Nadezhda (part of Tran deposit).

Bornite with native gold inclusions and minerals from the platinum group metals, Elatsite deposit

Samples of gold can be seen in showcase E232. They are mined from river placer deposits along the Ogosta, Mativir, Arda and Varbitsa rivers and quarries for building materials near Novoseltsi and Iskar railway station.

Native gold, Ardino area

Ferrous metal ores: chromium from Dobromirtsi and Golyamo Kamenyane deposits, Avren and Brussevtsi localities; iron from Krumovo deposit and manganese from Obrochishte deposit are exhibited in showcases E222, E223 and E226.

The exposition includes also a number of industrial minerals mined in Bulgaria.

Halite with argillite (drill core), Mirovo deposit

Quartz – kaolin sand deposits from the Eastern part of the Danube plane are presented in showcase E234.

Fluorite, Chiprovtsi East deposit

Showcase E 23? presents fluorite, which was mined recently in Lukina Padina section  in Chprovtsi East deposit, and in the past it came from Slavyanka and Mihalkovo deposits. One can see also some unique with their properties and field of application zeolites from Kardzhali region (Е 237), vermiculites from Ichtiman area (Е 236), perlite and bentonite clays from Kardzhali region (Е 234).

Showcases E239 and E240 include various decorative rocks from Pirin mountain, the Rhodopes and Strandzha-Sakar region. Marbles, limestone, sandstones, granites can be seen there.

Rhodonite, Enyovche deposit

Monzonite, Chernomorets quarry

Showcase E221 exhibits non-conventional mineral resources originating from natural or technogenic deposits and industrial wastes.

Garnet-kyanite schists, Chepelare

One can see: bituminous schists, flint rocks, vein quartz, bulgarites, phosphorites, graphite in marbles and schists, iron oxides mineral pigments, chunks and powder of limestones and marbles – waste materials from the extraction and processing, metallurgical slags, gipsum, obtained in the process of desulfurization of lignite coal from Maritsa East basin and products made of it, such as various plasterboards; sulphur from the wastewater in oil production.

Copper axe, lamps and hammers found near the town of Vratsa.