Türkiye to restore historic Hejaz railway sections in Syria PHOTO / VIDEO

Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu has said that Türkiye is set to restore parts of the historic Hejaz Railway in Syria, aiming to re-establish rail connections between Türkiye and Damascus.

Uraloğlu stated that experts will promptly assess the situation, and in the initial phase, steps will be taken to restore the railway link with Damascus, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

🚉Sultan Abdülhamid’in rüyası, Osmanlı'nın son büyük projesi Hicaz Demir Yolu, hacca gitmeyi kolaylaştıracak, ticaretin artmasını sağlayacaktı.

Şam'ın özgürlüğüne kavuşmasıyla bu önemli mirasın restore edilmesi gündeme geldi. https://t.co/M2taUhsbQF pic.twitter.com/Hk4MHoaUXa

— TRT HABER (@trthaber) January 8, 2025

The Hejaz Railway, conceived by Sultan Abdul Hamid II of the Ottoman Empire in 1900, was intended to connect Istanbul with Mecca. Stretching from Damascus to Medina, with a branch leading to Haifa, it was designed to facilitate the pilgrimage to Hajj.

Among the railways of the Ottoman Empire, the Hejaz Railway was the most significant due to its vast length and its strategic military, political, and economic potential. 

The Hejaz Railway did not reach its ultimate goal—it ended in Medina, approximately 400 kilometres from the holy city of Mecca. Moreover, during this period, the railway became a key factor in Türkiye's military-strategic dominance in the heart of the Middle East.

By Naila Huseynova