Natural Sciences Museum "
Sabiha Kasimati" (in
Albanian: ''Muzeu i Shkencave të Natyrës "Sabiha Kasimati"'') is a
natural science museum in
Tirana, Albania
Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...
.
History
Established in 1948, the museum is affiliated with the
University of Tirana
The University of Tirana ( sq, Universiteti i Tiranës, abbreviated UT) is a public university located at the central borough of Tirana 10 in Tirana, Albania. It was established as the ''State University of Tirana'' in 1957 through merging of f ...
and has branches in
zoology
Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and ...
,
botany
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek w ...
and
geology
Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ea ...
.
On 8 March 2018, the museum was named after
Sabiha Kasimati, first Albanian scientist to make major contributions to the study of freshwater fish.
Kasimati was
killed in February 1951 by the Communist regime, accused of being part of a group of 22 Albanian intellectuals who had detonated a bomb in the Russian embassy in Tirana. In 1991, all victims were rehabilitated by the new government and awarded posthumously by the Order of Honour of the State.
Collections
The museum is composed of seven pavilions that collect 3,000 items related to the rich Albanian
biodiversity
Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...
, including animals (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects and aquatic invertebrates) and plants. Invertebrates represent the largest number of faunal
specimens exhibited in the museum and kept in the
scientific storage area.
The rich collection of the Museumis due to its talented
researchers such as Sabiha Kasimati, Ilia Mitrushi,
Vasil Puzanov, Fotaq Lamani, Kastriot Misja, Idriz
Haxhiu, Vangjel Andoni, Lekë Gjiknu ri, Islam Zeko,
Andrian Vaso, Ferdinand Bego, Taulant Bino, Sajmir
Beqiraj, etc. In addition, museum curators and taxidermists such as Muhamet Shpati and Grigor Jorgo
contributed to collection preservation.
See also
*
Sabiha Kasimati
*
Science and technology in Albania
*
University of Tirana
The University of Tirana ( sq, Universiteti i Tiranës, abbreviated UT) is a public university located at the central borough of Tirana 10 in Tirana, Albania. It was established as the ''State University of Tirana'' in 1957 through merging of f ...
*
Tourism in Albania
Tourism in Albania has been a key element to the country's economic activity and is constantly developing. It is characterized by its rich archaeological and cultural heritage dating back to the classical period when Illyrians and Ancient Gre ...
References
Museums in Tirana
Natural history museums
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