Museum of Humanity: Rio’s suburb holds space with unique architecture

By: Gabriel Murga / Favela em Pauta – Lupa do Bem

In a building with an Islamic castle feel and details of Mamluks architecture, located in the Anchieta neighbourhood, in the north of Rio de Janeiro, the Museum of Humanity houses a collection of more than 90,000 archaeological and historical pieces from different parts of the world.

In addition, sculptures and pieces that simulate fossils and death masks can also be found and admired, including by students from public schools located near the Museum.

The space also houses the Institute of Historical and Archeological Research of Rio de Janeiro (IPHARJ). The head and curator of the museum is the archeologist Claudio Prado de Mello, who built the space with his hands for over 32 years.

Founded in 1990, IPHARJ is a non-governmental and non-profit organisation that aims to promote research, exploration and dissemination of world archaeology, history and science in Brazil and abroad. Since its foundation, the space has promoted a successful dissemination work, and publishes the results of its recent scientific research.

The space’s collection has thousands of pieces already catalogued – however, Cláudio commented, in an interview with Lupa do Bem, that he is still looking for “resources to finish the work”. “We hope to soon be able to count on the help of interns and volunteers to continue this monumental work”, he declares. 

Museum of Humanity and IPHARJ

The Institute for Historical and Archaeological Research building covers over 25,027 square feet (about 2,500 square metres) and pays homage to ancient Mamluk architecture – a style in use between 1250 and 1517 in the Near East.

The space largely caters to the public that comes from various parts of the city, from other states, in addition to receiving visitors from other countries. In addition, the place is recognized by the Brazilian Institute of Museums (Ibram).

The museum is divided into four parts: 

• The Humanity Memorial is a special part of the building, where you will find a beautiful collection of works of art and antiquities that will be arranged in 27 rooms and in an underground complex of galleries, in which the funerary archeology collection will be exposed;
• Four rooms for temporary exhibitions where a vibrant cultural centre operates continuously;
• Three Archeology laboratories and seven Technical Reserves of Archaeological Objects;
• In addition to the Humanities Library, dedicated to Sultan Qansuh Al-Ghuri, the Museum has around 70,000 titles and summarises the Documentation Centre with around 15,000 documents and original photographs. On the third floor, IPHARJ has a semi-open area, including an Arabic garden, marble fountains and an open-air theatre. 

Located at Rua Chrisóstomos Pimentel, nº 443, the space receives visitors from Monday to Friday, from 10 am to 5 pm. Tickets cost R$10 and the value obtained with the tickets is used for the maintenance of the Museum and for the payment of employees, who are residents of the region. In addition, there are free visits that can be scheduled in the space.

The Anchieta neighbourhood is far from the traditional spaces where the flow of visitors to museums and cultural spaces in the city of Rio de Janeiro is concentrated. The site also has other spaces for this purpose, such as the Lona Cultural de Anchieta and the Grande Otelo Art Centre.

Lupa do Bem spoke with the person in charge and creator of the Museum of Humanity, Cláudio Prado de Mello, about the history of the space, the origins of his family and the importance of archeology for the preservation of heritage and for the education of young people.

Check out the interview:

Lupa: how did the initiative to build this space come about?

Cláudio Mello: The idea of building IPHARJ is very old, and it was born from the need to have space to accommodate a collection of books and objects that grew every day. It all started with a collection of Roman and Greek pieces brought by my maternal family when they came from Milan, Italy, in 1825, attracted by the idea that there was a new European Court in the New World. Italy was experiencing territorial conflicts and coming to Brazil sounded like an opportunity for a new life.

With them, they brought small pieces, as if they were part of their land. I grew up fascinated by these pieces in my grandmother’s house. In this way, the taste for things from the past has always existed, and at the age of 11 I was already a collector.

Over time, friends and people began to collaborate and make donations. Today, IPHARJ has a collection of more than 100 thousand pieces, bringing together remnants of cultures from all over the world. Our library brings together more than 70,000 titles and covers the [area of] human sciences, although it focuses on the themes of World Archeology and Cultural Heritage.

Lupa: archeology is still seen as something far removed from everyday life. How to bring people together, especially the younger ones, in spaces like the Museum of Humanity?

Cláudio Mello: Archeology has always fascinated people in general. At IPHARJ, we have a very rich experience of receiving and listening to people interested in these topics. For those who are not interested, but have the sensitivity to listen, we created a work methodology that we call “heritage awareness”, which is much more than “heritage education”, because we awaken feelings, memories and lead people to the paths respect for our ancestors and, consequently, for the cultivation of memory.

We believe that when we work with children and teenagers, we have the opportunity to open a new “window” to show a little of the world of the beautiful, the exceptional, the rich. In other words, working with heritage and the concept of memory, we can show a little bit of this very important past that constitutes the legacy that our ancestors left for all of us. 

Lupa: what is the importance of this space for the neighbourhood and for the north zone of the city of Rio? What about the partnership with public teaching spaces?

Cláudio Mello: We believe that with every move we make, we can influence our surroundings. IPHARJ has been at its new address since 2002. So it’s been 20 years. The space was founded in 1990 and has already completed 32 years of existence in January. Before, [the organisation] occupied another address, about 600 metres from the current building.

At this address, our doors have been open since December 2009 and we have already received an unlimited number of groups, both from colleges, universities, groups for the elderly, ‘socialites’, people from communities, of all ages, classes, creeds and origins.

The focus is to show how important the message of the past is and the importance of our generation to care for and preserve the heritage left by the ancients. We have made a lot of progress in this regard, as not only do we receive groups at our headquarters, but we take the word about heritage preservation to other municipalities and even other states. This is a job that we see as a true mission.

For some years now, we have established a partnership with the Núcleo de Arte Grande Otelo, which is part of the 6th CRE of the City of Rio de Janeiro. The work has been productive and IPHARJ has become an extension of the nucleus, where children can exhibit what they produce in an environment that favors this presentation. In this way, we add years of a happy and rewarding partnership that the expression that would most define is “overcoming challenges”.

Lupa: what archaeological materials can visitors find in the Museum?

Cláudio Mello: IPHARJ has not yet managed to obtain funds to mount its long-term exhibition which will occupy the entire second floor. For this reason, we provide a large space on the ground floor that functions as an exhibition hall, and in it, from time to time, we renew with new themes, giving the public the opportunity to observe the extension and richness of our collection.

At the moment we have an exhibition entitled “Writing history, forms and uses”, which shows the emergence of writing in the Middle East, going up to the end of the 19th century. In each module, we show how writing took place and developed in the different human cultures of the five continents.

How to support and get to know the Museum of Humanity

People can help IPHARJ with volunteer work, during the period when the space organises events.

The institution also accepts donations to keep the Institute running, which can be done via Pix (mobile number key): +55 (21) 99704-9415. It is also possible to contribute with cleaning products and food that will be used in the snacks offered at the end of the activities carried out at IPHARJ and at the Humanity Memorial.

To schedule events and visits for schools or groups of 10 to 30 people, contact can be made via email (ipharjeventos@gmail.com) or WhatsApp, at (21) 99188-4880.