Name of Object:

Firman issued by Sultan Abdülmecid for the construction of the Constanţa–Cernavodă railway

Location:

Bucharest, Romania

Holding Institution:

Romanian Railways Museum

 About National Museum of Romanian History, Bucharest

Date of Object:

1857

Description:

The first railway in the European part of the Ottoman Empire was built in Dobruja. Its construction was leased by the Ottoman sultan to the British company "Danube and Black Sea Railway and Kustendge harbour". According to the contract signed on 1 September 1857 the company had to build a railway linking the cities Constanţa and Cernavodă and could exploit it for 99 years, after which it became property of the Ottoman Empire. The railway, inaugurated on 4 October 1860, was 66 km long and was destined for freight transportation. After Dobruja was annexed by Romania in 1878, the state bought the railway from the British company (1882). Later, in order to connect it to the Romanian railway system (since Dobruja is separated from the rest of Romania by the Danube) a railway bridge was built across the Danube.

Citation of this web page:

"Firman issued by Sultan Abdülmecid for the construction of the Constanţa–Cernavodă railway" in "Sharing History", Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. https://sharinghistory.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;AWE;rm;3;en

MWNF Working Number: RO 003