Hijaz+Railroad

The Hijaz Railroad ran from Damascus, Syria all the way to Medina, Saudi Arabia. Completed in 1908 with German assistance, the completion was a monumental accomplishment for people who practiced the religion of Islam. There was now a new, efficient, faster method for these people to make their pilgrimage to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Initiated by Ottoman Emperor Abdul Hamit, the Hijaz Railway was seen by many as a needed development as it sometimes took over 40 days to make the journey to these holy cities, depending on where you lived. Other people like the Sharif of Mecca, Hussein Ibn Ali resented the emperors' desicion to construct such a railroad. The people of the Hijaz region were very independent from the princaple Ottoman government, they lived their own ways, under their own terms. The construction of the railroad was seen as the begining of an increase in Ottoman influence which was greatly un-wanted. One of the most promonet jobs in the Hijaz region was a guide for piligrams, as one can imagine the railroad greatly reduced the need for these guides, therefore wide-spread angry flooded the region with every piece of rail layed.