The National Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro, which celebrated its 200th anniversary this year, was almost completely destroyed by fire. The fire destroyed the museum's most valuable collection.
The National Museum is the oldest scientific institution in the country, writes the BBC. The palace, once the residence of the Portuguese royal family, housed more than 20 million exhibits, including ancient artifacts. The museum exhibits included some of the largest collections of animals, minerals, fossils, mummies, Native American pottery, dinosaur bones, and the oldest human skeleton ever found in South America in the Americas.
The fire broke out after the museum closed and quickly spread through the old building. The museum director called the incident a cultural tragedy in an interview with Brazilian television.
Source: travel.ru
