It is thought that Samokov was founded in the 14th century as a mining settlement with the assistance of
Saxon miners under the
Bulgarian Empire. It was first mentioned in 1455 and in
Ottoman registers of 1477 as
Vlaychov Samokov. Some of the best craftsmen, woodcarving masters and builders came from Samokov and were recognized for their skills in creating detailed and impressive woodcarvings, painting beautiful icons and building unique architecture. In fact Samokov was one of the then famous three woodcarving schools in the region, the other two being
Debar and
Bansko. Their work can be seen in many churches and cultural buildings throughout the
Balkan Peninsula. Between the 14th and 18th centuries, Samokov was established as an administrative center for
iron ore mining by the ruling
Ottoman Empire. From the 16th century until the abolishment of the
Serbian Patriarchate of Peć in 1766, Samokov was placed by the Ottomans as the seat of the easternmost eparchy of the
Serbian Orthodox Church. 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
horseshoes and 30,000
nails. Samokov also produced
anchors and other materials for the shipyards 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. ==Sports==