The exhibition, organized by the Albaraka Türk participation bank, the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality and the Turkish State Railways (TCDD), includes historical and contemporary photographs of the railway, which starts in İstanbul and ends in Mecca.
The curator of the show, Abdüsselam Ferşatoğlu, says they used Ottoman Sultan Abdülhamid II's Yıldız Palace archives for the historical photographs, while most of the new ones were taken by him. "This should not be considered just as an exhibition. We are trying to create a public opinion that will enable this glorious project to live once more," he said in an interview with Today's Zaman at the exhibition's opening ceremony.

İstanbul Mayor Kadir Topbaş, who also supported the exhibition, says the idea of the project, which was aimed at bring the East and West closer, originated in İstanbul. "The Hijaz Railway is the name of the path that connects the holy land to İstanbul. This exhibition is also significant because it is being held in the Haydarpaşa train station, which was the starting point of the railway," he said. Albaraka Türk General Manager Adnan Büyükdeniz noted that the Hijaz railway photograph project has attracted attention in countries such as Canada, the US, Britain and Israel.

The exhibition showcases 80 photographs, numerous paintings prepared by the Prime Ministry General Directorate of State Archives, informative videos about the Hijaz Railway and the TCDD's new high-speed trains and stamps issued by the Postal and Telecommunications General Directorate (PTT) in memory of the Hijaz Railway. The admission-free exhibition will be on display until Sept. 14.

The history of the railway

The project, initiated at the order of Abdülhamid II, was built largely by Turks, with German consultation and support. A public donation campaign was opened throughout the Islamic world to fund the construction, and the sultan started the campaign by donating 50,000 lira. Eight years later, in 1908, the railway reached Medina on the anniversary of the sultan's accession to the throne. With the railway a pilgrim could travel from İstanbul to Medina in 120 hours.

The road was repeatedly damaged in the midst of fighting during World War I, particularly under the leadership of British spy T. E. Lawrence. The commander protecting Mecca and Medina, Fahrettin Paşa, brought the Ottoman Empire's Sacred Relics to İstanbul through the Hijaz Railway following the breakup of the empire. The railway, which passes through the contemporary borders of Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia is no longer used to carry pilgrims to Mecca. However, it is still in use for other purposes by Turkey, Syria and Jordan.

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