- Address: Carrera 6 No.15-88, Bogotá 110321, Colombia
- Tel: +571 343 2222
- Website: banrepcultural.org
- Founded: 1932.
- Opened: 1939 year
- Visits: 500 thousand people. in year
The Museum of Gold in Bogotá is the largest in Colombia , but also in the whole world. In this important historical place of the country are collected incredible collections of Latin American gold products. Convenient location in the city center makes it the most visited place of the capital.
History of the museum
In Colombia for a long time reigned a period of predatory archeology and treasure hunters, and it began with the Spanish conquest of South America in the XVI century. Many artifacts and archaeological monuments of the Indian people were plundered. So it was not possible to establish how much for exactly 500 years the Indian products were melted into ingots and coins.
To prevent the destruction of pre-Columbian jewelery mastery samples since 1932, the National Bank of Colombia began to buy out and collect gold treasures. In 1939, the Gold Museum in Colombia opened its doors to visitors. The building of the present museum was built in 1968.
What is interesting to see in the Museum of Gold?
In the exhibition there are about 36 thousand gold items made by masters during and long before the Inca empire. In addition, it collected a unique collection of archaeological finds of ancient times. During the tour of the Gold Museum in Bogota you will see the following:
- The first floor consists of cash desks, a museum shop, a restaurant, administrative institutions and an exhibition of archaeological finds. The latter is a rare specimen of Indian weaving, ceramics, bone, wood and stone products. In this room, the culture of the sacred and funeral cults of the pre-Columbian period is magnificently illuminated.
- Second and third floors. The main style of the rooms is minimalism. The exhibition is devoted to gold products of Indians for the period from 2 millennium BC. e. and until the XVI century. All products are made in a unique technique of melting gold - casting in wax. In addition, perfect murals on ceramic products, gold shapes and quality indicate the unmatched skill of the Indians.
- Valuable exhibits. All items raised from the bottom of Lake Guatavita are considered unique. According to legend, they fell into the lake as a sacrifice.
- Gold animals. An exposition with animal figures is very interesting. Shamans of those times considered cats, frogs, birds and snakes as conductors to another world. In the museum you can see such unusual gold items as animal and human hybrids.
- The last room in the museum. An unforgettable impression is produced by this room, which resembles a half-dark huge pantry with 12 thousand gold items. When visitors come in, the lights turn on dramatically in order to surprise the guests of the museum with the effect of golden radiance, accompanied by sound effects.
Unique exhibits of the museum
Any product made of solar metal already has its highest price. However, there are absolutely unique specimens, which today have become simply priceless. There are such exhibits in the museum of gold in Bogotá:
- The raft of Muisk. This product was discovered in 1886 in the cave of Colombia. It represents a 30-centimeter raft with a leader surrounded by priests and oarsmen. Product weight - 287 g.
- The golden mask of a man. Refers to the culture of Tierradentro , dated 200 BC. Created by ancient casting technology in wax.
- The golden shell. The perfect exhibit is made on the basis of natural material. A huge shell was flooded with molten gold, but over time it disintegrated, leaving its golden impression.
- Popo Chimbaya. It is a gold vial for storing lime, which was used for sacred ceremonies. The product has a length of 22.9 cm. In the XX century. Popo Kimbaya became the national symbol of Colombia: it was depicted on banknotes, coins and stamps.
Features of visit
The Gold Museum in Bogotá works all days of the week, except Monday. Entry costs $ 1, on Sunday - for free. Working hours:
- Fri-Fri - from 09:00 to 18:00;
- Sun - from 10:00 to 16:00.
How to get to the Golden Museum?
The very convenient location of the Museum of Gold in Bogota makes it the most popular place in the city. It is located in the area of Candelaria, and it is most convenient to get there by transmilenio. The stop is called - Museo del Oro.