The Natural History Museum of Crete (NHMC) ( el, Μουσείο Φυσικής Ιστορίας Κρήτης, ΜΦΙΚ) in
Heraklion
Heraklion or Iraklion ( ; el, Ηράκλειο, , ) is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete and capital of Heraklion regional unit. It is the fourth largest city in Greece with a population of 211,370 (Urban A ...
,
Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...
is a
natural history museum
A natural history museum or museum of natural history is a scientific institution with natural history collections that include current and historical records of animals, plants, fungi, ecosystems, geology, paleontology, climatology, and more. ...
that operates under the auspices of the
University of Crete
The University of Crete (UoC; Greek: Πανεπιστήμιο Κρήτης) is a multi-disciplinary, research-oriented institution in Crete, Greece, located in the cities of Rethymno (official seat) and Heraklion, and one of the country's most aca ...
. Its aim is the study, protection and promotion of the diverse
flora
Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''.
E ...
and
fauna
Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is '' funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as '' biota''. Zoo ...
of the Eastern
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
region. The museum is based in a restored industrial building that used to house an electricity power plant.
Awards
In late December 2012, NHMC was awarded by the
Academy of Athens with the
Benaki award for “its diverse educational, research, writing and publishing work, its exemplary organization and its promotion of scientific research and training”.
Τα βραβεία της Ακαδημίας Αθηνών
Τα Νέα. Retrieved Jan. 3, 2013.
See also
*Cretaquarium
Cretaquarium ( el, Ενυδρείο Κρήτης, ''Enidrio Kritis'') or Thalassocosmos ( el, Θαλασσόκοσμος, "sea world") is a public aquarium located near the town of Gournes in Crete, Greece, 15 km east of the city of Heraklio ...
Notes
External links
Official website
Natural history museums in Greece
Museums in Heraklion
University museums in Greece
Museums established in 1981
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