Orders, Decorations and Medals

Ottoman Empire, Hejaz Railway Medal 1908, silver, pierced for ring suspension, minor edge bruising, some contact marks, nearly very fine; Russia, Medal for Zeal, Nicholas I, octagonal medal, this a copy, very fine (2) £100-140

The Hejaz Railway was first proposed in 1864 to transport pilgrims from Damascus to Medina. It came to be built in the early years of the 20th century, funded by Sultan Abdul Hamed, the Khedive of Egypt, and the Shah of Iran. The bulk of the construction force comprised 5,000 Turkish soldiers. The railway was officially opened on 1 September 1908, and was transporting 30,000 pilgrims a year by 1912, increasing to 300,000 by 1914. However, it was severely damaged during the First World War by, amongst others, Lawrence of Arabia. It was never fully restored and only small portions of it are operational today.