MIM Museum

The MIM is a private museum in Beirut, Lebanon. The name is an abbreviation of "Mineral Museum."[1] The museum displays more than 2,000 minerals, representing 450 different species from 70 countries, and is considered one of the most significant private collections of minerals in the world.[2] It opened in 2013.[3] The museum also hosts an exhibition of marine and flying fossils from Lebanon.

Not to be confused with Musical Instrument Museum (Phoenix).
MIM Museum
Building where the museum is housed at Saint Joseph University
Established2013
LocationBeirut, Lebanon
TypeMineralogy museum
Websitewww.mim.museum
mim museum, Université Saint-Joseph Campus of the Innovation and Sport at Beyrouth

History

The MIM mineral collection was put together from 1997 by Salim Eddé, chemical engineer and co-founder of the computer company Murex. In 2004, he decided to make his collection accessible to the public and designed the first museum of its kind in Lebanon. Eddé presented the idea to Father René Chamussy, rector of the Saint Joseph University of Beirut, who adopted it and reserved for the collection 1,300 m2 in the basement of a building then under construction on the campus near the National Museum of Beirut.[4]

During the next ten years, Eddé continued to build up his collection, assisted by Jean-Claude Boulliard, curator of the Sorbonne collection. The inauguration of the museum, built on the personal funds of the collector, finally took place in October 2013.

  • Large, di-hexagonal prismatic crystal of 1,390 carats uncut with a deep green color. It is transparent and features few inclusions in the upper 2/3, and is translucent in the lower part.
    Large, di-hexagonal prismatic crystal of 1,390 carats uncut with a deep green color. It is transparent and features few inclusions in the upper 2/3, and is translucent in the lower part.
  • Fossil of Mimodactylus, a pterosaur from Hjoula named after the museum
    Fossil of Mimodactylus, a pterosaur from Hjoula named after the museum
  • The stone at the top and in the middle is a Baryte from Morocco. It is nicknamed by the mim museum "Blue Cedar"
    The stone at the top and in the middle is a Baryte from Morocco. It is nicknamed by the mim museum "Blue Cedar"[5]

See also

References
  1. Kellner, Alexander W. A.; Caldwell, Michael W.; Holgado, Borja; Vecchia, Fabio M. Dalla; Nohra, Roy; Sayão, Juliana M.; Currie, Philip J. (2019). "First complete pterosaur from the Afro-Arabian continent: insight into pterodactyloid diversity". Scientific Reports. 9 (1): 17875. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-54042-z.
  2. Lina, Kobeissi (11 May 2017). "The world's most exciting private collection of minerals hides in Beirut". Museeum. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  3. Lyckberg, Peter (16 Oct 2013). "The MIM Museum opening, Lebanon". www.mindat.org. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  4. "Salim Eddé, deux passions au service du Liban". L'Orient-Le Jour (in French). 2017-10-24. Retrieved 2020-12-13.
  5. "mim museum". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2019-03-24.

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