From First Siren to the Last Train: Haydarpasha Train Station

Abstract

In 149 year period from 1870 Ottoman epoch to modern day, actualization of railway projects starting with Haydarpasha-Hejaz Railway put forward the necessitation of building facility together with railhead and stations. Despite these investments placed huge burdens to the treasury at painful last era of Ottoman Empire, it was decided from necessity to build a new railhead building. At the same time, by putting out the project designing of this magnificent construction to show the power of Sultan Abdulhamit the Second to tender and giving the work to German Phillip Holzmann & Co. Company, the construction of the new Haydarpasha Railhead was realized. During the completion of the Railhead, after the 1909 Fire and 1917 Explosion, the Railhead was hardly restored between the years 1930-1933. The Railhead exposing to several physical and climatic effects was taken to repairmen in 1976 and 1983. Haydarpasha Railhead has experienced the biggest damage at the explosion of Independenta Oil Tanker having Romania flag. During the continuing explosions after its grounding in front of Haydarpasha, colored stained-glasses of the railhead were damaged in a great extent. A large part of the roof was burnt inadvertently during the repairmen on 15 November 2010.