Hejaz Railway | Map of the Hejaz Railway, AH1319 [1901]

Hejaz Railway

Map of the Hejaz Railway, AH1319 [1901]

Colour lithographed map (71 x 50cm.), titled in upper margin, inset map key, eight sheets, backed on modern cloth, trimmed at top edge, wear to sheet edges resulting in minor loss of text, some crude tape staining

This scarce map charts the route of the Hejaz Railway in red down the Western side of the Arabian Peninsula, featuring the Sinai Peninsula, the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.

This map was produced following the loan of 100,000 lira from the Ziraat Bankasi to the Ottoman Empire in 1900, which propelled the ambitious project into action. The enormous financial undertaking led to Abdulhamid II enlisting all Muslims around the world to contribute toward the project, which had monumental religious, as well as military, significance. Medallions were presented to donors (see Lot 89), and no foreign investment was accepted, making the railway symbolic of Muslim identity.