The Tower Mill of Beștepe, Tulcea County

In northern Dobrogea,  not all windmills were the same. In addition to the traditional models, which rotated their entire structure to follow the wind, the locals used the tower mills, also-called "mills with a hat”, similar to those in the Netherlands. In this type of windmill, only the conical roof with the wind wheel rotated, while the tower remained fixed.

A remarkable example is the windmill from Beștepe, in Tulcea County. Built on an octagonal stone foundation, the structure of the windmill combines oak and pine wood, forming a truncated pyramid with eight sides. Its movable roof sits on a circular track and rotates smoothly, like a puzzle piece that fits perfectly into place, guided by the wind. Compared to post windmills, the tower windmill is much more efficient due to its advanced two-stage transmission mechanism, which allows the millstones to turn at a higher speed.