The Rhodope Crystal Hall is one of the best sights of the town of Madan. It was founded in 1984, stores 581 mineral specimens, and is a member of the International Association of Mineralogical Museums. The hall is at 1 Yavor Str., in the centre of the town of Madan, at a distance of 110 km from the town of Plovdiv, 42 km from the town of Pamporovo, 30 km from the town of Smolyan and 25 km from the town of Zlatograd.

Ore mining in the Madan region dates back to Antiquity. Some mineral deposits were mined as early as the Thracian era. Later on the explorer of the Balkan region - the French geologist Ami Boue, made the first scientific research in the Rhodope region. The first Bulgarian geologist Georgi Bonchev collected mineral specimens and described some of the local mineral deposits in the beginning of c. 20.

 
















There are few lead-and-zinc ore fields in the world where such amazing crystal forms of the galena and sphalerite, can be found; most of them are unique.

The cubes and cube-octahedrons of the galena are of impressive size. The unfinished and of negative shape galena crystals are of great scientific value.

The most widespread zinc crystal is the sphalerite. Its name is derived from the Greek word Sphalera, which means "false, deceitful". Brown, yellow and green cleiophanes and anthracite-black marmarites can be seen here. There are magnificent rare crystal forms of golden-yellow chalcopyrites. There is a wide range of variants of the most widespread silicate mineral in nature - the quartz. There are beautiful crystal groups of clear rock-crystals - transparent variations of the quartz. Numerous are the nuances of the violet amethyst, the black morion and the smoky quartz.

There are also representatives of the large group of the agates, which are a joy to the eye and a food for the imagination with their play of colours and are used in the jewellery industry for that reason. 

The most widespread of the carbonate minerals is the calcite, which occurs in most varied crystal forms. The contents of manganese determines the pink colour of the manganocalcite and the rare rhodochrosite.