The Aspiration

The Hejaz/Hedjaz/Hijaz railway would begin in Istanbul travelling through modern-day Syria, Palestine and much of the Arabian desert and end in Makkah. The railway was an aspiration of the Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II for two reasons:

(1) Making the travelling for Hajj easy: The aim was to better connect the Holy sites with Istanbul and to also make the pilgrimage easier. The railway would drastically alter the mode of transport for pilgrims going to Hajj (which was previously done via camels or by foot) thereby reducing the length of time (according to experts then, down to 5 days) to travel to Makkah and Madinah, and

(2) Strengthen the Islamic world and the Ottoman Caliphate: Sultan Abdul Hamid also recognised the socio-political benefits of the railway as it would strengthen the ties between the different Islamic regions all the way from Istanbul to Arabia. Its necessity was deemed even more significant due to the concept of Ummah (Muslim nation) being challenged as a result of nationalism amongst the various Islamic regions along with the colonisation and occupation of Muslim lands.

It was designed to strengthen the empire militarily and their control over the Arabian peninsula and enable soldiers to reach the Holy Sanctuaries of Makkah and Madinah in no time if it were to come under attack.

Abdul Hamid placed a great degree of significance on the two most holiest sites in Islam – Makkah and Madinah. This started with renovations to Makkah and Madinah themselves to prevent flooding, and then the routes for Hajj were also looked at with hospitals and barracks being built along the routes for pilgrims.