Osmanlı Hamidiye Mosque

As the construction of the Hejaz Railway was completed, mosques, wells, and water reservoirs were also built in locations close to the stations along the route. These structures were planned to meet the worship and living needs of both railway workers and passengers. The Hamidiye Mosque in Medina, also known as the Anberiye Mosque, was designed as an integral part of the railway project due to its proximity to the station. Its name derives from the "Hamidiye" project associated with Sultan II. Abdülhamid; as the line was officially referred to as the "Hamidiye Hejaz Railway." The name "Anberiye" reflects a different designation given to the railway in some sources. Sultan II. Abdülhamid viewed the Hejaz Railway project not merely as a transportation infrastructure but as a pan-Islamist project symbolizing Islamic unity, reinforcing the authority of the caliphate, and facilitating access to the holy lands. In this context, the mosques built along the route not only served a practical function but also embodied the Ottoman's spiritual presence in the Hejaz. With the railway becoming non-functional after 1918, the surrounding area of the station also became desolate. The Hamidiye Mosque holds cultural heritage value as one of the rare architectural remnants from the Ottoman period in Medina. [Source: "Hejaz Railway", TDV Islamic Encyclopedia, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/hicaz-demiryolu; "Hejaz", TDV Islamic Encyclopedia, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/hicaz]