Reconstruction and adaptation of ancient ore forging installation

Project for the historical reconstruction of a samokóv – working model of a metallurgical facility

Project and execution of a historical reenactment of Samokóv: 2015. | In operation

In 2015 a reconstruction of an operational model of a metallurgical facility for the processing of primary iron obtained in the furnaces, also called “Samokóv” or “Madan”, was made, used from the 14th-15th century until the beginning of the 20th century. The town of Samokov arose gradually near the former Samokovs, who also gave the name to the town.

The Samokóv, also called madan, is a metallurgical facility for processing the iron originally mined in the furnaces, used from the 14th-15th century until the beginning of the 20th century.

The facility is an active reconstruction in the city park of Samokov on the banks of the Bistrica river by the road to Borovets. It serves to clean the raw iron from impurities and to forge it into bars and less often into plates. It is a large forge – a building made of stone and wood. In it is carried out the main action in the process – the forging of the ore by an “automatic” hammer driven by a main rotating shaft and the auxiliary action of melting and processing the ingots of pre-mined ore – a hearth with two bellows that ignite it and maintain the temperature, driven second rotating shaft.