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Hejaz Station in Damascus, the starting point of the railroad.
Hejaz Station in Damascus, the starting point of the railroad. Damascus ( دمشق,, also commonly known as الشام ash-Shām) is the capital and largest city of Syria.
Map of the Hejaz railway.
Map of the Hejaz railway.

The Hejaz Railway (also Hedjaz, etc. ) was a narrow gauge railway (105 cm) that ran from Damascus to Medina, through the Hejaz region of Arabia, with a branch line to Haifa, on the Mediterranean Sea. A narrow gauge railway (or narrow gauge railroad) is a Railway that has a Track gauge narrower than the of Standard gauge railways Damascus ( دمشق,, also commonly known as الشام ash-Shām) is the capital and largest city of Syria. Medina mɛˈdiːnə (المدينة المنورة ælmæˈdiːnæl muˈnɑwːɑrɑ or المدينة ælmæˈdiːnæ also transliterated into English as al-Hejaz (also Hijaz, Hedjaz; الحجاز al-Ḥiǧāz, literally "the barrier" is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia The Arabian Peninsula (in Arabic: شبه الجزيرة العربية šibh al-jazīra al-ʻarabīya or جزيرة العرب jazīrat al-ʻarab) The Jezreel Valley railway, or simply the Valley railway (רכבת העמק Rakevet HaEmek) refers to a historical Railroad in Ottoman and British It was a part of the Ottoman railway network and was built in order to extend the previously existing line between Istanbul and Damascus (which began from the Haydarpaşa Terminal) all the way to the holy city of Mecca (eventually being able to reach only Medina due to the interruption of the construction works caused by the outbreak of World War I). Turkish Republic State Railways (Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryolları or TCDD) is the state corporation that operates the public Railway system in Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey Damascus ( دمشق,, also commonly known as الشام ash-Shām) is the capital and largest city of Syria. Istanbul Haydarpaşa is a terminus main station of the Turkish State Railways (TCDD in Haydarpaşa close to Kadiköy at the Anatolian part of Mecca ˈmɛkə also spelled Makkah ˈmækə (in full Makkah Al-Mukarramah (Arabic mækːæ(t ælmʊkarˑamæ مكّة المكرمة, literally Honored Medina mɛˈdiːnə (المدينة المنورة ælmæˈdiːnæl muˈnɑwːɑrɑ or المدينة ælmæˈdiːnæ also transliterated into English as World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All

The main purpose of the Hejaz Railway was to establish a connection between Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire and the seat of the Islamic Caliphate, and Hejaz in Arabia, the site of the holiest shrines of Islam and the holy city of Mecca, which is the yearly pilgrimage destination of the Hajj. Istanbul (historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see the other Names of Istanbul) is the largest city of Turkey The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. A caliphate (from the Arabic خلافة or khilāfa) is the political leadership of the Muslim community in classical and medieval Islamic history al-Hejaz (also Hijaz, Hedjaz; الحجاز al-Ḥiǧāz, literally "the barrier" is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia The Arabian Peninsula (in Arabic: شبه الجزيرة العربية šibh al-jazīra al-ʻarabīya or جزيرة العرب jazīrat al-ʻarab) For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Mecca ˈmɛkə also spelled Makkah ˈmækə (in full Makkah Al-Mukarramah (Arabic mækːæ(t ælmʊkarˑamæ مكّة المكرمة, literally Honored The Hajj (حج is a pilgrimage to Mecca (Makkah It is the largest annual pilgrimage in the world Another important reason was to improve the economic and political integration of the distant Arabian provinces into the Ottoman state, and to facilitate the transportation of military troops in case of need.

The railway is remarkable both for having had no debt when completed and for having many miles of track below sea-level. The initial declared goal of laying the tracks all the way to Mecca was never achieved. Mecca ˈmɛkə also spelled Makkah ˈmækə (in full Makkah Al-Mukarramah (Arabic mækːæ(t ælmʊkarˑamæ مكّة المكرمة, literally Honored In fact it never reached further south than Medina, 400 km (250 miles) short of Mecca. Medina mɛˈdiːnə (المدينة المنورة ælmæˈdiːnæl muˈnɑwːɑrɑ or المدينة ælmæˈdiːnæ also transliterated into English as Mecca ˈmɛkə also spelled Makkah ˈmækə (in full Makkah Al-Mukarramah (Arabic mækːæ(t ælmʊkarˑamæ مكّة المكرمة, literally Honored

Contents

History

Empty phosphate train at Ram station, coming from Aqaba.
Empty phosphate train at Ram station, coming from Aqaba.

The railway was started in 1900 at the behest of the Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II and was built largely by the Turks, with German advice and support. Year 1900 ( MCM) was an exceptional Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar Abdülhamid II His Imperial Majesty Sultan of the Ottoman Empire ( Ottoman Turkish: عبد الحميد ثانی `Abdü’l-Ḥamīd-i sânî, İkinci Abdülhamit Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification Before the construction, a German military adviser in Istanbul Auler Pasha estimated that the transportation of soldiers from Istanbul to Mecca would be reduced to 120 hours. The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification Mecca ˈmɛkə also spelled Makkah ˈmækə (in full Makkah Al-Mukarramah (Arabic mækːæ(t ælmʊkarˑamæ مكّة المكرمة, literally Honored [1] Berlin to Baghdad Railway was built in the same time. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the Ottoman Empire planned to construct a Baghdad Railway under German control Both railways were interrelated and aimed to strengthen the authority of the Empire over Arab provinces. Another intention was to protect Hejaz and other Arab provinces from a British invasion. al-Hejaz (also Hijaz, Hedjaz; الحجاز al-Ḥiǧāz, literally "the barrier" is a region in the west of present-day Saudi Arabia

The railway reached Medina on September 1, 1908, the anniversary of the Sultan's accession. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Certain compromises had had to be made in order to finish by this date, with some sections of track being laid on temporary embankments across wadis. Wadi (وادي) (also Vadi) is traditionally a valley In some cases it can refer to a dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain In 1913 a new station, the Hejaz Station, was opened in central Damascus as the starting point of the line (Damascus to Medina is 1300 km (820 miles)). Year 1913 ( MCMXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Damascus ( دمشق,, also commonly known as الشام ash-Shām) is the capital and largest city of Syria.

From its outset, the railway was the target of attacks by local Arab tribes. These were never particularly successful, but neither were the Turks able to control areas more than a mile or so either side of the tracks. Due to the locals' habit of pulling up wooden sleepers to fuel their camp-fires, some sections of the track were laid on iron sleepers. A railroad tie, cross tie, or railway sleeper is a rectangular object used as a base for Railroad tracks.

The line was repeatedly damaged in fighting during the First World War, particularly at the hands of the guerrilla force led by T. E. Lawrence during the Arab Revolt. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Guerrilla warfare is the unconventional warfare and combat with which a small group of combatants use mobile tactics (ambushes raids etc The Arab Revolt (1916&ndash1918 ( الثورة العربية Al-Thawra al-`Arabīya) was initiated by the Sherif Hussein ibn Ali with the aim of securing Following the break-up of the Ottoman Empire, the railway never re-opened south of the Jordanian-Saudi Arabian border. Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (الأردنّ al-Urdunn) is an Arab country in Southwest Asia spanning the southern The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi

An attempt was made to re-open the line in the mid 1960s, but this was abandoned due to the Six Day War in 1967. The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 Background Suez Crisis aftermath The Suez Crisis of 1956 represented a military defeat but a political victory for Egypt Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar.

Current status

Two connected but non-contiguously operated sections of the Hejaz Railway are in service:

Workers on the railway have restored many of the original locomotives. There are currently nine steam locomotives in Syria and seven in Jordan in working order. Since the accession of King Abdullah II, relations between Jordan and Syria have improved, causing a revival of interest in the railway. Abdullah II bin al-Hussein King of Jordan ( الملك عبد الله الثاني بن الحسين al-Malik ʿAbdullāh aṯ-ṯānī bin al-Ḥusayn born 30 The train, however, no longer runs from the Hejaz Station but from Qadam station in the outskirts of the Syrian capital. In 2004 the Hejaz Station in Damascus was closed, pending a major commercial development project. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "

Small non-operating sections of the railway track, buildings and rolling-stock are still preserved as tourist-attractions in Saudi Arabia, including the Medina Terminus, restored in 2005 with railway tracks and locomotive shed. Trains destroyed by Lawrence can still be seen where they fell.

There are also plans by Israel Railways to rebuild the long-defunct Haifa extension of the railway (the Jezreel Valley railway) in Israel using standard gauge, with the possiblity of later extending it to Irbid in Jordan. Israel Railways (רכבת ישראל Rakévet Yisra'él) is Israel 's government-owned national railway company and is responsible for all inter-city and suburban The Jezreel Valley railway, or simply the Valley railway (רכבת העמק Rakevet HaEmek) refers to a historical Railroad in Ottoman and British For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The standard gauge (also named the Stephenson gauge after George Stephenson, or Normal gauge) is a widely-used Rail gauge. Irbid (إربد known in ancient times as Arabella, is The capital and largest city of the Irbid Governorate, it is also the third largest city in Jordan

References

  1. ^ Özyüksel, Murat (2000). Hicaz demiryolu. Tarih Vakfı Yurt Yayınları.  

Further reading

See also

External links

Railways (2000 total 677 km narrow gauge (1050 m677 km Two connected but non-contiguously operated sections of the Hedjaz Railway
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