Bahai Shrine and Gardens

Abstract

~The Bahai Shrine and Gardens in Haifa are the international headquarters for the Bahai Faith and a pilgrimage destination of Bahai believers from all over the world. The unique design of the gardens, by Iranian Bahai architect Fariborz Sahba, combine geometrical shapes with the conservation of natural and historic landscape features. Planting of the gardens began in 1909 A staircase of 19 terraces extends all the way up the northern slope of Mt. Carmel. At the heart of the gardens stands the golden-domed Shrine of the Bab, which is the resting place of the Prophet-Herald of the Bahai Faith. It was designed by William Sutherland Maxwell, a Canadian Bahai architect, and was built between 1949-1953. The Bahai Gardens in Haifa and Acre (Akko) were inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in July 2008