Rare Specimens of Minerals as a Gift

9 September 2022
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The geological scientific and educational collection of Magtymguly TSU has been replenished with a new showcase, where rare specimens of minerals from a private collection are exhibited – this is a gift to the University from the teacher, Candidate of Geology and Mineralogy and head of the museum Anatoly Bushmakin.

The uniqueness of the new exhibits lies in their beauty, unique form and rare occurrence in nature of such forms, combinations and patterns in stone. Some items were found on the territory of Turkmenistan. The rest is from different parts of Eurasia, Russia, the Kola Peninsula in particular, and the Caucasus. There is native copper from the Urals, lazurite from the Pamirs, salt from Karabogaz Köl, all kinds of fossilised forms of marine organisms, concretions – a mineral outgrowth around an organic base, and secretions – residual holes in a rock, inside which crystals of quartz, barite, or calcite, called geodes, develop, native sulphur, witherite, gypsum, selenite, Ural malachite and ... Turkmen malachite. Yes, do not be surprised, according to the geologist, there are five manifestations of this stone in the country, including those in Koytendag. Visitors can also see semi-precious lazurite, sintered forms from the karst caves of the Kapkutan system (Koytendag etrap), quartz geodes from the Tuarkyr upland and the mountains of the Great Balkhan, which is in the Turkmen coastal region. There are also maps and diagrams showing the richness of the mineral resources of our country.

Elena DOVLETOVA. Photo: Sagit BATALOV