Haifa
Haifa with the Shrine of the Báb
The following are the sites in Haifa.
- The Shrine of the Báb
-
The Shrine of the Báb
Perhaps the most famous of all the Bahá'í monuments is the Shrine of the
Báb, whose golden dome overlooks Ben-Gurion Avenue.
The story of the many stages of its construction is very
interesting. The Báb was publicly executed, in highly unusual
circumstances, in Iran in 1850. His body was kept in concealment for
many years, until Bahá'u'lláh, in 1891, expressed his wish to have the remains
transferred to the Holy Land. Accordingly, `Abdu'l-Bahá made the necessary
arrangements and the ``Holy Dust'' arrived secretly in `Akká by sea
from Beirut on 31 January, 1899, and interred on
Mount Carmel on 21 March, 1909.
Through Shoghi Effendi's efforts,
the Shrine of the Báb assumed its
present enchanting appearance in 1953.
- The House of the Master
-
`Abdu'l-Bahá left `Akká to move to Haifa in 1910. He designed the house and
later constructed it. It is the house where Shoghi Effendi grew to
maturity under the tutelage of `Abdu'l-Bahá. The house became `Abdu'l-Bahá's
official residence.
- The Shrine of `Abdu'l-Bahá
-
`Abdu'l-Bahá left this world on 28 November, 1921. His remains are
temporarily interred in one of the nine rooms which make up the Shrine
of the Báb.
- The Monument Gardens
-
The Monument Gardens
There are several other mausoleums on the Bahá'í properties on Mount
Carmel. Those interred include Bahíyyih Khánum
(`Abdu'l-Bahá's sister), Munírih Khánum (`Abdu'l-Bahá's spouse),
Mírzá Mihdí (`Abdu'l-Bahá's brother, who died in the barracks), and
Ásíyih Khánum (`Abdu'l-Bahá's mother).
- The Temple Site
-
Near the time-honored cave of Elijah, at the head of Mount Carmel, is
the site of the first Bahá'í House of Worship which will be built in the
Holy Land. The property was purchased by Shoghi Effendi. An obelisk
stands at the site today, in recognition of the fact that the
construction of the temple is many decades away.
- The Buildings of the Arc
-
The International Archives building
Since the days of Shoghi Effendi, the Bahá'í world has been engaged in the
construction of the five buildings of the Arc on Mount Carmel, Haifa.
Together the five buildings stand along an arc or semicircle, and are made up
of nearly symmetrical structures on either side of the central
building. The two outer buildings are the International Archives and
the International Library. The two inner buildings are the Centre for
the Study of the Sacred Texts and the International Teaching Centre.
The central building is the Universal House of Justice.
Roof of the Seat of the Universal House of Justice
These buildings will together be the seat of the Bahá'í administrative
system, which is still in its embryonic stage at this time. Bahá'ís believe that one day these institutions will constitute
a form of world government which will guarantee that human progress
will be directed towards the goal of an ever-advancing civilization.
Quoting Shoghi Effendi, the Universal House of
Justice announced in 1975 that the process of building the Arc on Mount Carmel
``will synchronize with two no less significant developments-the
establishment of the Lesser Peace and the evolution of Bahá'í national
and local institutions.''[28] The Lesser Peace is the term used by Bahá'u'lláh to
refer to that global political peace which must be firmly established before
the coming of the Most Great Peace, awaited by the saints, seers, and
poets of ages past. Bahá'ís are expectant that the Lesser Peace will
come before the end the of this century.
Next: Bahá'í Aesthetics of the Sacred
Up: Bahá'í Holy Places
Previous: The `Akká Area
G.M. Viswanathan
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