In this artwork, how is the History discussed?
The monument was designed by Italian sculptor Raimondo D'Aronco in Istanbul in 1903 and shipped to Haifa for the opening of the railway on 15 October 1905 (which was also the sultan’s birthday). It was presented in a ceremony in front of a large crowd at the new Haifa railway station. It stands as a "reminder of the railway’s importance as a projection of the imperial authority, as well as its material value to Ottoman trade and communications". It has relief carvings depicting a steam locomotive and Ottoman insignia. It also contains an inscription in Turkish (see below).Monuments such as this and the Telegraph Column in Damascus were designed to commemorate the "charitable works" of Abdul Hamid II for his people; the railway would be used to carry pilgrims to the Hajj
Damascus Raimondo D'Aronco Haifa railway station sultan Abdul Hamid II Hajj Italian Istanbul Telegraph Column Haifa