Haifa

Haifa with the Shrine of the Báb

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.

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