- Address: Santuario del socavón, Oruro, Bolivia
- Phone: +591 2 5250616
In Bolivia , in the small town of Oruro , there is the unique Ethnographic Museum of Miners (Museo Minero). Let's find out what it's interesting.
General facts about the museum
It was built near the building of the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Sokavona, which is known for its patronage over the workers. There is an institution right in the old non-working mine, where once mined silver ore. The museum has a short length - only 700 m, and lateral branches are closed here.
Initially, in the faces and drifts, local Indians worked. They were always considered to be an independent and intractable people, so in time they were replaced by African slaves from plantations. But the latter in such difficult conditions for a long time did not survive and mass death. This fact, by the way, saved Altiplan aborigines from complete annihilation, since they had no equal in the mines. Over time, the Indians began to steal and take out of the depths of the faces of all that they could, and this, in turn, accelerated the process of closing the mine.
Visit to the Ethnographic Museum of Miners
At the museum this place is not very similar. Visitors are invited to go down to the dungeon along a special route and experience firsthand all the load that the mine workers were subjected to during the extraction of minerals during the colonial era. Tourists undergo a serious test with a lot of impressions and emotions, and also receive a huge amount of adrenaline, because by the end of the tour, many feel a strong lack of oxygen.
From the exhibits in the Ethnographic Museum of Miners, you can see all the working equipment: from helmets to trolleys, as well as a collection of minerals and rock samples. Back in the dungeon, near the exit, is the figure of the devil, who is the patron saint of the cave. His visitors usually leave donations.
Duration of the tour is about 40 minutes. In some places, tourists have to go, heavily bent, but this only adds to the sensations of sharpness.
In general, the Ethnographic Museum of Miners is a gloomy, but rather unusual and interesting place.
How to get to the museum?
As the Ethnographic Museum of miners adjoins the church, which is located in the crowded Folklore Square, it will not be difficult to get here. You can get to the place from the center by foot, by car or by public transport .
| | |
| | |
