The last major project of the Empire

Hicaz Railway, the last major project of the empire: Hicaz Railway, built with the money from the campaign organized by Sultan Abdulhamit's first donation, was completed with the great sacrifices of the Islamic world.

Sultan II, the sultan who was the most controversial but widely accepted by the Ottoman Empire. It was the first time to go to Medina with Hicaz Railway, the biggest project of Abdülhamit, on the 1908th August of 27.

The Hijaz Railway, considered the last major project of the caliphate, envisaged laying a railway network from Istanbul to Medina. The cost of the railway was calculated as 4 million pounds. This figure corresponded to almost the 20 of the state budget, and it seemed impossible to pay. Sultan Abdülhamit launched the first donation from the personal property of the project and launched a big campaign. In order to collect these aid by the Islamic world in a single hand, the ası Hicaz Intelligence Line yardım was established. The campaign attracted great attention not only in the Ottoman lands, but also in the entire Islamic world.

Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Russia, China, Singapore, Netherlands, South Africa, Cape of Good Hope, Javanese, Sudan, Pretoria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Skopje, Plovdiv, Constanta, Cyprus, Vienna, England, Germany and America donated for the construction. Even the Muslims, Germans, Jews and many Christians even donated. Aids came from state administrators, such as the Moroccan Emir, the Shah of Iran, and the Emir of Bukhara.

The Hijaz railway project was welcomed with enthusiasm in the Islamic World. Ottoman, Indian In the Iranian and Arab press, the hicaz railway had been the subject with the greatest focus for months. The newspaper Sabah, published in Istanbul, referred to the railway as the most spectacular work of the holy line and the caliph.

A station of the Hejaz Railway that reaches the present day

Construction of the Hicaz Railway started in October 1903. German engineer Meissner was at the head of the technical works of the railway, but despite the German engineers, a significant part of the engineers were from the Ottoman nations. In the construction of Hicaz Railway, 2 666 stone bridges and culverts, seven iron bridges, nine tunnels, 96 stations, seven ponds, 37 water tanks, two hospitals and three workshops were built.

Workers, soldiers, officers working in the railway construction worked with great sacrifices against the negativities such as hot, thirst, bandit attacks.

II. Abdul Hamid showed a great example of delicacy and the noisy lands in the holy lands Hz. He wanted Muhammad to not disturb his great spirit. For this purpose, work was continued by laying felt under the rails. During the studies, attention was paid to use sound locomotives in the region.

Railway construction was first started between Damascus and Der. Amman was reached in 1903 and Maan in 1904. Even though Maan wanted to reach the Red Sea by building a branch line to Aqaba gulf, it could not be realized as a result of the British opposition. The Haifa Railway, whose construction privilege was previously given to a British company, was bought together with construction materials, completed in 1905 and connected to Der, from the valley of Yermuk to Haifa. Thus, the Hejaz Railway reached the Mediterranean. Until then, Haifa, which was a small town next to the historical city of Akka, developed suddenly with the construction of the Hejaz railway and its port and became an important transportation center of the region today.

After the arrival of the railway to Maan, a business administration was established by separating the construction and the operation works and the first time in the 1 1905 1 began to carry passengers and goods. In the same year Mudevvera'ya and 1906 September 27 reached the Medâyin-i Sâlih'e. After this point, the whole construction was carried out by Muslim engineers, technicians and workers. to el-varıllâ and finally to Medina. The first train with the ceremony 1908 August XNUMX'dan Damascus, leaving the Damascus-Medina line was opened. The fact that the line was finished in such a short time caused a great surprise in the western world.

Hijaz Railway, which has a total of one thousand 464 kilometers up to that date, is the successor of the throne of Sultan Abdülhamit 33. 1, which is an anniversary of 1908, was fully opened with an official ceremony on September XNUMX. The Hejaz Railway was used extensively until the First World War.

A tunnel of Hicaz Railway that reaches today

II. The 18, known as the 'Hamidiye Hijaz Railway X until the abdication of Abdul Hamid, and 1909 from January 1918, surpassed the thousand 900 at 16. Fahreddin Pasha, commander of the Medina of the Armistice of Mondros 7. According to the specifications signed in January 1919 XNUMX in the delivery and evacuation of Medina in accordance with the specifications of the Ottoman sovereignty over the Hejaz Railway had vanished. Mukaddes Trusts, located in Medina, was able to move to Istanbul through the Hejaz Railway line with the great efforts of Fahreddin Pasha.

In spite of its short life, the Hejaz Railway has produced significant military, political, economic and social consequences. The graduates of the Engineering School which was not employed in the railroads made by foreign capital was the first experience and training place of many Turkish engineers.

The basis of the accumulation of knowledge, skills and experience that will be required during the construction of the Republic Railways was provided by Hicaz Railway, and a considerable number of technical personnel were trained.

Hicaz Railway, which facilitates the communication of the Ottoman State with that region, also facilitated the work of Muslims who wanted to go to Hajj and had great results.

In addition to the material results it has created, the Hejaz Railway has also made a significant contribution to our people's awareness of solidarity and solidarity around a common goal and ideal.