Samokov
Encyclopedia
Samokov is a town in Sofia Province
in the southwest of Bulgaria
. It is situated in a kettle between the mountains Rila
and Vitosha
, 55 kilometres from the capital Sofia
. Due to the suitable winter sports conditions, Samokov, together with the nearby resort Borovets
, is a major tourist centre.
In the past, Samokov was a centre of handicrafts and art, with notable figures like Zahari Zograf
, Hristo Dimitrov and Nikola Obrazopisov. The town's name is a compound word of "samo" and "kov", respectively meaning "self" and the root of the verb "forge, hammer", and comes from the samokov, a mechanical forge powered by water, since the town of Samokov was a major iron producing centre during the Middle Ages.
. It was first mentioned in 1455 and in Ottoman
registers of 1477 as Vlaychov Samokov. In the 16th and 17th centuries, it grew into the greatest iron
extraction centre in the region, with western travellers describing it as 'a fairly large city'. In 1565-1566, Samokov had to produce and deliver to Belgrade
20,000 horseshoe
s and 30,000 nails. Samokov also produced anchor
s and other materials for the shipyard
s of the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast
, particularly Pomorie. As the logging industry was also well developed, in 1573 the people of Samokov had to deliver 300 beams as far as Mecca
.http://www.promacedonia.org/eg_sa/eg_sa_4.html.~
, volleyball
, boxing
, wrestling
and judo
. It cost 16 million lev
. There is also a skiing centre in Samokov for Cross Country skiing, a small alpine hill and a snowboard park.
on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
, Antarctica is named after Samokov.
Sofia Province
Sofia Province is a province of Bulgaria. The province does not include Sofia in its territories, but Sofia however remains its administrative center...
in the southwest of Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
. It is situated in a kettle between the mountains Rila
Rila
Rila is a mountain range in southwestern Bulgaria and the highest mountain range of Bulgaria and the Balkans, with its highest peak being Musala at 2,925 m...
and Vitosha
Vitosha
Vitosha is a mountain massif, on the outskirts of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. Vitosha is one of the tourists symbols of Sofia and the closest site for hiking, alpinism and skiing. Convenient bus lines and rope ways render the mountain easily accessible. Vitosha has the outlines of an enormous...
, 55 kilometres from the capital Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
. Due to the suitable winter sports conditions, Samokov, together with the nearby resort Borovets
Borovets
Borovets , known as Chamkoria until the middle of the 20th century, is a popular Bulgarian mountain resort situated in Sofia Province, on the northern slopes of Rila, at an altitude of 1350 m...
, is a major tourist centre.
In the past, Samokov was a centre of handicrafts and art, with notable figures like Zahari Zograf
Zahari Zograf
Zahariy Hristovich Dimitrov , better known as Zahari Zograf is arguably the most famous Bulgarian painter of the Bulgarian National Revival, noted for his church mural paintings and icons and often regarded as the founder of secular art in Bulgaria due to the introduction of everyday life...
, Hristo Dimitrov and Nikola Obrazopisov. The town's name is a compound word of "samo" and "kov", respectively meaning "self" and the root of the verb "forge, hammer", and comes from the samokov, a mechanical forge powered by water, since the town of Samokov was a major iron producing centre during the Middle Ages.
History
It is thought that Samokov was founded in the 14th century as a mining settlement with the assistance of "Saxon" minersGermans in Bulgaria
Germans are a minority ethnic group in Bulgaria . Although according to the 2001 census they only numbered 436, the settlement of Germans in Bulgaria has a long and eventful history and comprises several waves, the earliest in the Middle Ages....
. It was first mentioned in 1455 and in Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
registers of 1477 as Vlaychov Samokov. In the 16th and 17th centuries, it grew into the greatest iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
extraction centre in the region, with western travellers describing it as 'a fairly large city'. In 1565-1566, Samokov had to produce and deliver to Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
20,000 horseshoe
Horseshoe
A horseshoe, is a fabricated product, normally made of metal, although sometimes made partially or wholly of modern synthetic materials, designed to protect a horse's hoof from wear and tear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall...
s and 30,000 nails. Samokov also produced anchor
Anchor
An anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα .Anchors can either be temporary or permanent...
s and other materials for the shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
s of the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast
Bulgarian Black Sea Coast
The Bulgarian Black Sea Coast covers the entire eastern bound of Bulgaria stretching from the Romanian Black Sea resorts in the north to European Turkey in the south, along 378 km of coastline. White and golden sandy beaches occupy approximately 130 km of the 378 km long coast...
, particularly Pomorie. As the logging industry was also well developed, in 1573 the people of Samokov had to deliver 300 beams as far as Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
.http://www.promacedonia.org/eg_sa/eg_sa_4.html.~
Sports
Bulgaria's only ski jumping hill is located in Samokov. It's a fairly small hill, K-40 metres where you can jump down to 45 metres. The hill is very old and needs to be renovated. A large modern sports arena was opened on 8 March 2008. BasketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
and judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
. It cost 16 million lev
Bulgarian lev
The lev is the currency of Bulgaria. It is divided in 100 stotinki . In archaic Bulgarian the word "lev" meant "lion".It is speculated that Bulgaria, as a member of the European Union will adopt the Euro in 2015 .- First lev, 1881–1952 :...
. There is also a skiing centre in Samokov for Cross Country skiing, a small alpine hill and a snowboard park.
Honour
Samokov KnollSamokov Knoll
Samokov Knoll is a peak of elevation 602 m in Yankov Gap area, Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica...
on Livingston Island in the South Shetland Islands
South Shetland Islands
The South Shetland Islands are a group of Antarctic islands, lying about north of the Antarctic Peninsula, with a total area of . By the Antarctic Treaty of 1959, the Islands' sovereignty is neither recognized nor disputed by the signatories and they are free for use by any signatory for...
, Antarctica is named after Samokov.
Notable persons
- Vladimir ZografskiVladimir ZografskiVladimir Zografski, born 14 July 1993 in Samokov, Bulgaria is an Bulgarian ski jumper. He took a 43rd place in the K-90 Normal hill competition in the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2009 in Liberec, Czech Republic...
- ski jumper - Vladimir BreitchevVladimir BreitchevVladimir Breitchev is a Bulgarian ski jumper that came at the 19th place in the Olympic Games in the K-70 metre hill in 1984. That is his best Olympic performance even though he also competed in Calgary 1988 and in Lillehammer 1992-External links :...
- ski jumper - Petar PopangelovPetar Popangelovthumb|300px|Petar PopangelovPetar Popangelov is a Bulgarian alpine skier known at home by his nickname "Pepe" Popangelov. He won the 1977 European Cup in slalom World Cup in Lenggries, Germany...
- Alpine skier