- 1891-06-27 —
Bahá'u'lláh visited Haifa for the fourth time. [BKG374; DH109; GPB194; RB4:351]
- He stayed three months. [BBD94; BKG374; DH109; GPB194; RB4:351]
- He lived in the house of Ilyás Abyad near the Templar colony, His tent pitched nearby on the foot of Mount Carmel on HaGefen Street. This house was subsequently a boarding school and then became office space for the Mercantile Bank. [BKG374; DH186]
- Bahá'u'lláh instructed to the Master to arrange the transportation of the remains of the Báb from Persia to the Holy Land and their internment in a mausoleum below the clump of cypress trees at a spot which He indicated with His hand. It is stated that there were 15 tiny cypress trees at that time, each one the size of a finger. See Rob4p363 for a photo of the site indicated. [AB45; BKG374; DH134–5; GPB194]
- For a story of the difficulties in obtaining land for access to the site of the Shrine of the Báb see SES79-80.
- One day He pitched His tent a few hundred yards east of the Carmelite monastery and visited the monastery. His tent was also close to the Templar building with the inscription "Der Herr ist nahe" over the door. The spot is now marked by a circle of cypress trees. While there He fell ill and was invited in the Templar home and was seen by a Templar doctor, probably Dr J. Schmidt in the room at the north-west corner of the ground floor [DH186]
- Bahá'u'lláh visited the cave of Elijah. [BKG375; DH174; RB4:3512]
- He revealed the Lawh-i-Karmil (Tablet of Carmel), the `Charter of the World Spiritual and Administrative Centres of the Faith' near the site of the future Mashriqu'l-Adhkár. [BBD1 18–19; BKG375; DH109, 174; MBW63; RB4:352]
- For the text of this Tablet see BKG376–7, G14–17 and TB3–5.
- For an analysis of the text see RB4:353–67.
- See the article "Carmel: The Mountain of God and the Tablet of Carmel" by Zikrullah Khadem, ZK279-300.
- See PG102-103 for a recounting of a commemoration of Bahá'lláh's visit on the 21st of October 1919. At that time 'Abdu'l-Bahá entertained guests from India, Persia, Kurdistan, Egypt, and England in a tent which had been erected on the same spot where His tent had been pitched.
- 1898-00-01 —
`Abdu'l-Bahá instructed that the remains of the Báb be brought from their hiding place in Tihrán to the Holy Land. [BBD209]
In the 48 years since His martyrdom the Remains of the Báb had been secreted from a silk factory in Tabriz to Ṭihrán, Iṣfáhán, Kirmansháh, Baghdád, Damascus, Beirut and finally to 'Akká and then to the Mountain of God. [CoF54]
He insisted that the utmost secrecy be observed. "The dangers inherent in conserving such a precious Trust were enhanced tenfold with the defection of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's brothers….Spies in the employ of these disloyal members of Bahá'u'lláh's own family could be found in the telegraph offices and ports throughout the region." [LWS147]
- Picture of the shipping crate.
- 1899-00-04 — Siyyid Mustafá Rúmí and others transported a marble casket to the Holy Land made by the Bahá'ís of Mandalay to accommodate the remains of the Báb. [BW10:517]
Photograph of the sarcophagus in its transport crate after it reached Haifa. [Bahá'í Media Bank] - 1899-01-31 —
The Remains of the Báb arrived in the Holy Land. [BBD209; DH66; GPB274; LWS147]
- They were stored in the room of the Greatest Holy Leaf in the house of `Abdu'lláh Páshá until the Shrine of the Báb was completed. [DH66]
- In the days before His confinement to Akka was re-imposed, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had rented a house, probably just north of the German Colony on the same street facing the sea. He used this as a base when He came to Haifa a few days each week to supervise the excavation work for the foundation of the Shrine of the Báb. When Ali Kuli Khan came to the Holy Land in 1899-1900 the house was used as an office for the construction as well as a place where 'Abdu'l-Bahá could receive pilgrims. Khan was assigned to this house to do his translation work. The room he used contained the sarcophagus sent by the Bahá'ís of Rangoon and a wooden crate. Years later he was told that the sarcophagus contained the Remains of the Báb. [SUR110-111, 285 (PDF]
- 1899-02-01 —
`Abdu'l-Bahá, accompanied by Kheiralla, laid the foundation stone for the Shrine of the Báb. [BFA1:XXVIII, 142; BBD209; GPB275; SBBH2:112; LWS148]
- In spite of the honours 'Abdu'l-Bahá had heaped upon him, Kheiralla joined forces with the Covenant-breakers while in 'Akká and started to make false claims causing discord and distress among the Bahá'ís as soon as he returned to America. [LDNW]
- 1900-00-00 —
`Abdu'l-Bahá began to build the foundations of the Shrine of the Báb. [CB223]
- Note that the number 8 is prominent in the design of the Shrine of the Báb and the gardens. Mr. Giachery noted that Shoghi Effendi reported 'Abdu'l-Bahá to have said that it was because the Báb was the eighth Manifestation of those religions whose followers still exist. [SER84]
- 1901-00-00 — Siyyid Mustafá Rúmí sent from Rangoon a sample of the marble that the sarcophagus for the remains of the Báb was to be made from. Mishkin-Qalam asked for permission to design a Greatest Name for the sarcophagus, and, as was his custom, he signed the design. In the time of Bahá'u'lláh he signed his work with "The servant of the Threshold of Bahá,
Mishkin-Qalam" but for this work his proposal had the signature, "The servant of `Abdu'l-Bahá, Mishkin-Qalam." 'Abdu'l-Bahá did not approve. Throughout His ministry, `Abdu'l-Bahá greatly disapproved of believers composing verses about, or glorifying, His Person in any way. He would admonish them to focus their praise on Bahá'u'lláh. [MBBA155-157]
- 1907-00-00 —
Six rooms of the Shrine of the Báb were completed. [GBF103]
- See BBD8 and DH103–4 for information on Mullá Abu-Tálib, the master mason from Bákú, Ádharbáyján, who worked on the Shrine.
- 'Abdu'l-Bahá named one of the exterior doors to the Shrine of the Báb after Ustad 'Ali Ashraf, named Báb-i-Ashraf. In years to come, one of the gates leading to the Shrine of 'Abdu'l-Bahá was named "Ali Ashraf Gate".
- Two doors, one facing north towards 'Akka and the other on the eastern side of the Shrine, were named for Ustad Aqa 'Ali-Ashraf and Ustad Aqa Bala, sons of Mulla Abu-Talib. These two brothers were master-masons who went on pilgrimage from their native town of Baku, Russia, and with 'Abdu'l-Bahá's permission remained for some time in the Holy Land. During this period, they devoted their efforts to the construction of the Shrine and offered financial contributions towards the project.
- Some members of the
Ahmadpùr family
had been in the presence
of the beloved Master
when the Shrine of the Báb
had almost been completed.
In their longing to have
a share in that great and
historic enterprise, they
asked the Master if they
could make a special carpet
for the fioor and send
it to Haifa. He accepted
their request and gave instructions
as to what design
they should choose for
the carpet. The Ahmadpùr family were those in whose silk factory
the Báb's body had
been kept after being taken
from the edge of the
moat outside the city of
Tabriz.
[BN No 403 October 1964 p1]
- 1909-03-21 —
`Abdu'l-Bahá laid the sacred remains of the Báb in their final resting place at the Shrine in Haifa. [AB126; BBD210; DH138; GBF103; GPB276]
- See AB126–30, CT84 and GPB273–8 for details of the occasion and its history.
- The Shrine was a simple rectangular structure of six rooms. [DH71, ZK284]
- The marble sarcophagus used for the remains of the Báb was a gift from the Bahá'ís of Rangoon. [AB129; MC155]
- For details of the sarcophagus see RB3:431.
- 1917-02-02 —
`Abdu'l-Bahá revealed six Tablets of the Divine Plan. [AB422; BBD219, Message 29 December 2015]
- As there was no communication with America at that time, the Tablets were stored in a vault under the Shrine of the Báb. [BBD219]
- The Tablets can be found at TDP on the pages indicated:
- 9th (Page 14)Tablet to the Bahá'ís of the Northeastern States. Revealed on February 2, 1917, in Ismá'íl Áqá's room at the house of 'Abdu'l‑Bahá in Haifa, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of the nine Northeastern States of the United States: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York.
- 10th (Page 16)Tablet to the Bahá'ís of the Southern States. Revealed on February 3, 1917, in Haifa in Ismá'íl Áqá's room, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of the sixteen Southern States of the United States: Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas.
- 11th (Page 18)Tablet to the Bahá'ís of the Central States. Revealed on February 8, 1917, in Bahá'u'lláh's room at the house of Abbúd in 'Akká, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of the twelve Central States of the United States: Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas.
- 12th (Page 20)Tablet to the Bahá'ís of the Western States. Revealed on February 15, 1917, in Bahá'u'lláh's room at the house of Abbúd in 'Akká, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of the eleven Western States of the United States: New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, California, Wyoming, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
- 13th (Page 21)Tablet to the Bahá'ís of Canada and Greenland. Revealed on February 21, 1917, in Bahá'u'lláh's room at the house of Abbúd in 'Akká, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of Canada—Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, Mackenzie, Keewatin, Ungava, Franklin Islands—and Greenland.
- 14th (Page 23)Tablet to the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada. Revealed on March 8, 1917, in the summerhouse (Ismá'íl Áqá's room) at 'Abdu'l‑Bahá's house in Haifa, and addressed to the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada.
- 1921-09-00 — Roy Wilhelm had sent three generators to the Holy Land and had asked permission from 'Abdu'l-Bahá to have Curtis Kelsey come and install them. His request was granted and Curtis spent from September, 1921 until April, 1922 in the Holy Land. The units were installed at the Shrine of the Báb, (See SETPE1p38) at Bahjí (See SETPE1p55) and at the home of 'Abdu'l-Bahá at #7 Haparsin Street. The work was completed at all three locations on the last day of Ridván, 1922. [BW15p468-473]
- 1921-11-29 —
The funeral of `Abdu'l-Bahá. [BW15:115]
- For details of the funeral see AB464-74; BW1:23-6; BW15:115-19; GPB312-14; and SW12, 17:259-67.
- For Western and newspaper accounts see AB474-80; BBR347-9; BW1:26-8; and BW15:119-20.
- For eulogies to `Abdu'l-Bahá see AB481-2, BW1:28-9 and BW15 120-1.
- Ten thousand people attend `Abdu'l-Bahá's funeral. [v7]
- For a number of pictures of the funeral procession see SW12, 91:290, 292-8.
- Bahíyyih Khánum looked for instructions on where to bury `Abdu'l-Bahá and, finding none, entombed Him in a vault next to the one where the remains of the Báb lay. [AB464; GBF14]
- Also see Balyuzi, `Abdu'l-Bahá; Blomfield, The Chosen Highway; Honnold, Vignettes from the Life of `Abdu'l-Bahá; SW12, 15:245 and several following issues.
- Photo.
- The Greatest Holy Leaf engaged a locksmith to change all the locks in the Master's house. During the funeral procession she remained there and asked that a policeman be assigned to stand outside the door. During the procession Mirza Muhammad-Ali and his brother, feigning sadness, asked the policeman if they could enter the Master's house to express their condolences to the Greatest Holy Leaf. She turned them away at the door saying that this was not the time. He had attempted a kind of a palace coup. The Greatest Holy Leaf had foreseen that he would attempt just that. The House of the Master was more than a residence; it was the visible administrative centre of the Cause. Other than the Shrine of the Báb, it was the only Bahá'í edifice in the Holy Land at that time. [An account of the passing of 'Abdu'l-Bahá p42]
- 1922-04-21 —
The Shrines of Bahá'u'lláh and the Báb were electrically illuminated for the first time. [PP69]
- For the story of this project see He Loved He Served.
- 1923-00-00 — Charles Mason Remey made preliminary plans for a monumental domed superstructure for the Shrine of the Báb. [BW6:723]
- 1925-10-00 — Faced with the possibility of Jewish developments on land near the Shrine of the Báb, Shoghi Effendi appealed to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada to purchase the land in question. They responded quickly to the request. [BA92-3, SETPE1p108, PP97]
- 1927-10-00 — Shoghi Effendi entrusted Dr William Slater and his wife Ida Slater, who were visiting Haifa on a 19-day pilgrimage, with carpets from the Shrines of the Báb and 'Abdu'l-Bahá for the House of Worship in Chicago. [SETPE1p149]
- 1929-02-14 —
Work began on the three additional chambers of the Shrine of the Báb after the rock had been excavated from behind the building during the previous year. [DH154]
- Haji Mahmúd Qassabchí, the builder who had completed the repairs on the House of Bahá'u'llah in Baghdad was chosen to be in charge of the work. Shoghi Effendi later designed one of the doors to the Shrine as "Báb-i-Qassabchi" in his honour. The remaining two doors were named after Sutherland Maxwell, the architect of the superstructure, and ego Giachery who had served as liaison with the various Italian marble companies involved. The door to the octagon was named after Leroy Ioas who overlooked much of the work on the Shrine. [CEBF320]
- Originally the centre room had been separated by wooden walls and doors. These were removed and replaced by archways. [SETPE1p164]
- These rooms, when completed, are used as the International Bahá'í Archives. There was a second repository of the archives at this time near the resting place of the Greatest Holy Leaf. [GPB347]
- 1942-12-31 — Shoghi Effendi asked Sutherland Maxwell to design the superstructure of the Shrine of the Báb. [BBD210; DH140; GBF103–5]
- 1944-05-23 —
Shoghi Effendi unveiled the model of the Shrine of the Báb at the centenary celebration of the Declaration of the Báb in Haifa. [BBD210; BW10:154, 157; DH140; GBF104; PP239–40; UD166]
- BW10:157 suggests this was 24 May.
- 1946-04-11 — Shoghi Effendi instructed Sutherland Maxwell to set plans in motion for the first stages of the building of the superstructure of the Shrine of the Báb. [GBF104–5]
- 1947-09-13 —
The passing of Haji Mahmúd Qassabchí. In 1933 Qassabchí had suffered a severe attack of paralysis which he narrowly survived and as a result of which he could hardly move or speak for the rest of his life. He was buried at Salman Pak, about thirty miles southeast of Baghdad. [BW11p502-503]
- He had become a Bahá'í in 1911 after reading accounts of the travels of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in the Star of the West. Prior to that he had made the acquaintance of Músá Banání and had been impressed with the young man's honesty. With regard to his service to the Faith, after WWI he undertook the restoration of the House of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdad. A few years later he played a leading part in the purchase and the establishment of the Hazíratu'l-Quds of Baghdad and he participated in no small measure to the erection of the Hazíratu'l-Quds in the village of Avasiq, the first built in Iraq.
- His most imperishable service was the construction of three rooms at the rear of the Shrine of the Báb that were temporarily used as the International Bahá'í Archives before the construction of its permanent seat. [BW11p502-503]
- 1948-04-00 —
Contracts were placed in Italy for the rose Baveno granite columns for the Shrine of the Báb. [BBD210; DH140]
- The first shipment of stone reaches Haifa on 23 November 1948.
- For details of securing the contract and cutting the stone see SE68–83.
- 1949-00-00 —
Construction began on the superstructure of the Shrine of the Báb. [BBD210]
- The architect, Sutherland Maxwell, fell desperately ill during the winter of 1949-1950. " He reached a point where he seemed to have no conscious mind left, could not recognize me, his only and idolized child, at all, and had no more control over himself than if he were six months old." [PP155]
- He was taken to Switzerland where he rapidly recovered. By 1951 his health was so frail he returned to his native Montreal. [PP156]
- 1950-07-09 —
The Centenary of the Martyrdom of the Báb was commemorated.
- For Shoghi Effendi's message to the Bahá'ís on this occasion see BW12:191–3.
- For accounts of commemorations around the world see BW12:205–8.
- A small group of Bahá'í pilgrims visited the site of the Báb's martyrdom and other places associated with His life. [BW12:217–26]
- The columned arcade and parapet of the Shrine of the Báb were completed. [ZK284–5]
- 1951-03-21 — Shoghi Effendi announced the completion of the excavation for the eight pillars to support the dome of the Báb's Sepulchre and the decision to place a $130,000 contract for the stonework for both the cylinder and the dome. [CBN No19 April 1951 p4]
- 1951-04-02 — Shoghi Effendi announced the completion of two additional terraces, a scheme initiated a quarter of a century prior, to fulfill the Master's plan to connect, through a series of nine terraces, the Shrine of the Báb with the Templar Colony at the foot of Mount Carmel. [CBN No 19 April 1951 p4]
- 1952-03-01 — The Octagonal component of the Shrine of the Báb was completed. [The Bahá'í Faith 1844-1952 Information Statistical & Comparative p6]
- 1952-03-04 — Shoghi Effendi described plans for a marble colonnade to encircle the Shrine of the Báb as an intermediate step to building a superstructure for the Shrine and sent his ideas to Italy for scale drawings and estimate. [SE133–4]
- 1952-03-25 —
Sutherland Maxwell, Hand of the Cause of God, passed away in Montreal. He died in the very room that the Master had slept in during His visit to Canada. (b.14 November, 1874) [DH143; MBW132; PP246; CBN undated Memorial Issue]
- For his obituary see BW12:657–62.
- Shoghi Effendi had appointed him among the first contingent on the 24th of December, 1951. [MoCxxiii]
- For his relationship with Shoghi Effendi and work on the superstructure of the Shrine of the Báb see PP236–43.
- Shoghi Effendi named the southern door of the Báb's tomb after him in memory of his services.
- On June 16th, 1956, friends of the Montreal area gathered at the grave to place, under the headstone, an alabaster box that had been sent by the Guardian. The box contained a piece of plaster taken from the walls of the prison in Máh-Kú where the Báb had been incarcerated in 1847. Another piece of plaster from the same source had been placed under the first golden tile of the dome of the Shrine of the Báb. The superstructure of the Shrine had been designed by Sutherland Maxwell. [TG55; CBN No 80 September 1956 p2]
- Find a grave.
- For a brief biography see LoF276-286.
- The Canadian Bahá'í News published a special Memorial issue.
- 1953-04-29 — In a moving ceremony, Shoghi Effendi placed a silver box containing a fragment of plaster from the ceiling of the Báb's cell in Máh-Kú under a tile in the golden dome of the Shrine of the Báb. [BW12:239; ZK285]
- 1953-10-00 —
The superstructure of the Shrine of the Báb was completed. [BBD210; CB324–5; PP235; ZK85–6]
- Marble for the Shrine of the Báb came from Chiampo, Italy as did marble for the Archives Building, the Resting Place of Shoghi Effendi, the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, the Terraces Project, the Monument Gardens and the Houses of Worship in India and Samoa. It was cut and chiseled by a firm called Margraf, formerly known as Industria Marmi Vincentini. [BWNS1223]
- 'Abdu'l-Bahá described the Shrine of the Báb as the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkár. [ABF18]
- In a letter from the International Bahá'í Council dated the 2nd of May 1955, they reported on the great interest that has been taken in the Shrine of the Báb since the completion. [CBN No65 Jun 1955 p1; BN 292 Jun 1955 p4]
- 1954-04-26 — President of Israel Ben Zvi and his wife visit the Shrines on Mount Carmel, the first official visit paid by a head of a sovereign state to the Shrines of the Báb and 'Abdu'l-Bahá. [GBF139–140; MBW68; PP2923]
- 1955-11-15 —
Shoghi Effendi announced that for the construction of the International Bahá'í Archives thirty of the fifty-two pillars, each over seven metres high, had been raised and that half of the nine hundred tons of stone ordered from Italy had been safely delivered at the Port of Haifa. He also said that a contract for over $15,000 had been placed with the tile factory in Utrecht for over 7,000 green tiles to cover the 500 square metres of the roof. [MBW95]
He announced as well:
- the purchase of a plot of land adjacent to the resting-place of the Greatest Holy Leaf for $100,000,
- the purchase of the dilapidated house situated south of the Mansion at Bahjí in which 'Abdu'l-Bahá used to receive friends, among them the first party of Western pilgrims after Bahá'u'lláh's passing,
- a plot of land situated in the neighbourhood of the Shrine of the Báb,
- and that the formalities had been completed in the purchase of the site of the future Mashriqu'lAdhkár on Mount Carmel. [MBW78-79, 95]
- The transfer of the deeds for the above plots of land were being transferred to the name of the Israel branches of the United States, The British, the Persian the Canadian and the Australian Baháa'í National Spiritual Assemblies. [MBW95]
- 1962-06-28 —
President Tubman of Liberia visited the Shrine of the Báb.
- This is the second official visit of a head of state (but the first foreign head of state) and is notable in that Liberia is the first black republic on the continent of Africa. [BW13:400]
- See BW13:400 for picture.
- 1978-04-21 —
Delegates to the International Convention attended a ceremony to further dedicate the new building for the Seat of the Universal House of Justice. The superstructure of the building was completed at this stage. Chairing the event was Hand of the Cause Dr. Ugo Giachery with special guest Ethel Revell, former member of the International Bahá'í Council in attendance. A casket containing dust from both Holy Shrines was placed in a niche specially designed for it.
- Delegates from 123 National/Regional Assemblies attended. [BW17p293-300]
- 1980-10-00 — A completely new electrical system was installed in the Shrine of the Báb. [Bahái Chronicles]
- 1982-07-15 —
In commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the passing of Bahíyyih Khánum, the Greatest Holy Leaf, Bahá'ís at the World Centre prayed at midnight at the Shrine of the Báb and at the tomb of the Greatest Holy Leaf, commemoration services were held in many parts of the world. [BW18:53, 102]
- For a list of references to the Greatest Holy Leaf found in English-language works see BW18:55–6.
- For a list of works published to commemorate this anniversary see BW18:57–8.
- For an article about her life and service see BW18:68–73.
- Five international conferences and their satellites, held in June, August and September, are dedicated to her memory. [BW18:102]
"The five international conferences of the Seven Year Plan were called to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the passing of the Greatest Holy Leaf, to discuss anew the present condition of the Faith in a turbulent world society, to examine the great opportunities for its future growth and development, and to focus attention on the unfulfilled goals of the Plan. We are certain that the contemplation of the gathered friends on the sterling qualities which distinguished the heroic life of the Greatest Holy Leaf will help them to persevere in their noble endeavours."
[The Universal House of Justice, from a message to the International Conference in Canberra, Australia, 2, September 1982 para 3]
- 1986-12-24 —
The House of Worship in New Delhi, the Mother Temple of the Indian Subcontinent, was dedicated in the presence of Hand of the Cause Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum and more than 8,000 Bahá'ís from 114 countries. [AWH47; BINS161; BW19:102 BW20p732-733, VV92]
- On October 1st, 1954 the Guardian announced that a plot
lying in the outskirts of New Delhi has
been secured at the price of a hundred
thousand rupees as the site of the first
Mashriqu'l-Adhkar of the Indian subcontinent. [CBN No58 Nov 1954 p1]
- See VV93–4 for pictures.
- See the video A Documentary on Lotus Temple, complete with transcript, 3 minutes, 52 seconds.
- Marble for the House of Worship was cut and chiseled by Margraf, a firm from Chiampo, Italy formerly known as Industria Marmi Vincentini. [BWNS1223]
- The Universal House of Justice reported that the Bahá'í Temple received more than 120,000 visitors within the first thirty days of its dedication. [Ridván 1987]
Specifics
Location: New Delhi, India (Bahapur (Abode of Light))
Foundation Stone: 17 October 1977 (Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum)
Construction Period: April 1980 - December 1986
Site Dedication:24 December 1986 (Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum placed a silver casket containing Dust from the Shrines of Bahá'u'lláh and the Báb into the crown of the Prayer Hall arch facing 'Akká)
Architect/Project Manager: Fariburz Sahbá
Seating: 1200
Dimensions:Inner buds are 34.3m high, the outer leaves are 15.4m wide and 22.5m high.
Cost: $10m
Dependencies:
References: BW16p486-487, BW17p368-370, BW18p103-104, 571-584, BW19p559-568, BW20p731-753
- 1990-05-23 —
The work started on the project to reinforce and extend the main terrace of the Shrine of the Báb. This was the initial step in the work to have the Terraces extend from the foot of the ridge of the mountain. [Ridván Message 1992, AWH83, 102]
- The architect for the Terraces project was Fariburz Sahba.
- 1991-06-17 — The contracts were signed for the second phase of construction for the terraces to the Shrine of the Báb.
- 1992-05-29 —
The Commemoration of the Centenary of the Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh at Bahjí and the walk from the German Settlement to the Shrine of the Báb, the circumambulation of the Shrine and the walk to the Seat of the Universal House of Justice for the viewing of a projected portrait of Bahá'u'lláh, and a candle-lit programme of prayers and readings. The 3 a.m. observances circled the globe in some 71,000 localities with prayers and readings beginning in the Eastern Pacific Ocean time zone and going west. At 1PM in the Seat of the Universal House of Justice, there was a viewing of the passport photo of Bahá'u'lláh taken in 1868. [BINS271:1–2; BW92–3:96–7; VV129–30, SDSC367-368]
- For the tribute to Bahá'u'lláh by the Universal House of Justice see BW92–3:31–6.
- For pictures see BINS271:10 and VV129, 130.
- 1994-03-24 — The Dalai Lama visited the Bahá'í World Centre, the first time a head of a religion had visited the Shrine of the Báb. [BW93–4:78, CBN Vol 7 no 1 May/June 1994]
- 1996-04-21 — The terraces below the Shrine of the Báb were completed and opened to pilgrims.
- 2001-05-23 —
At dusk on the evening of the 22nd of May, the opening of the Terraces of the Shrine of the Báb, a $250M project that begun ten years earlier and transformed the ancient barren face of the mountain into 19 majestic terraced gardens cascading down the length of the mountain. [BWNS121; BW01-02p37-73]
- See the message To the Believers Gathered for the Events Marking the Completion of the Projects on Mount Carmel.
- The nineteen Canadian believers who had the extraordinary blessing of being present in the Holy Land for the official opening of the Terraces of the Shrine of the Báb were: Dr. Akouete Akakpo-Vida, Mr. Riel Aubichon, Mr. Garrett Brisdon, Mrs. Pearl Downie, Mrs. Nellie Ironeagle, Mrs. Aghdas Javid, Mr. Joseph Kowtow, Mrs. Joo Jong Kung, M. Fréderic Landry, Ms. Giselle Melanson, Mr. Borna Noureddin, Mr. James Patrick, Mrs. Valerie Pemberton-Piggott, Mlle. Cindy Poitras, Mrs. Janice Schlosser, Mlle. Caroline Simon, Mrs. Doris Toeg, Mrs. Linda Wilkinson, and Mme. Elizabeth Wright. In addition, several students from the Maxwell International Bahá'í School were present as members of the delegations from their home countries.
- The event was attended by some 4,500 people, 3,300 of them Bahá'ís, as representative of more than 200 countries and territories. [One Country Vol.13 Issue 1]
- For the statement read by Dr. Albert Lincoln, Secretary-General of the Bahá'í International Community at the official opening of the flight of terraces see Ruhi 8.3 page 93. [BWNS119]
- See video From Darkness to Light Recalling the Events at the Official Opening of the Terraces on Mount Carmel May 2001.
- See The Opening of the Terraces (May 2001):
Reflections of a Participant by Thelma Batchelor.
- Gyr Kvalheim was the Managing Director of the Inaugural Events Office. [BWNS118]
- 2001-06-04 —
The public opening of the terraces surrounding the Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel. [BWNS134, BWNS221, BWNS123, BWNS122, BWNS121, BWNS120]
- For statement from the Universal House of Justice see: BWNS119.
- Other coverage: BWNS118, BWNS117, BWNS115, BWNS96, BWNS94, BWNS87, BWNS79.
- Also see: The Bahá'í Gardens.
- Marble for the terraces in the Bahá'í Gardens was cut and chiseled by Margraf, a firm from Chiampo, Italy formerly known as Industria Marmi Vincentini. [BWNS1223]
- See YouTube video Not Even a Lamp.
- See YouTube video Sacred Stairway: Pathway to a Book - A Talk by Michael Day where he talks about his book
Sacred Stairway - The Story of the Shrine of the Bab Volume III: 1963–2001. It was published by George Ronald.
- Mount Carmel was extolled by the prophet Isaiah almost three thousand years ago when he announce that:
...it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow until it. - 2001-07-31 — The publication of Bahá'í Shrine and Gardens on Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel: A Visual Journey by the Ministry of Defence Publishing House, Israel. [Ridván Message 2001]
- 2008-07-08 — The Shrine of the Báb and the Resting Place of Baháu'lláh, together with their surrounding gardens, associated buildings and monuments, were chosen as UNESCO World Heritage sites. [BWNS642, BWNS643, UNESCO site]
- 2009-03-21 — In commemoration of the interment of the sacred remains of the Báb on Mount Carmel, the members of the Universal House of Justice, accompanied by the members of the International Teaching Centre, offered prayers of thanksgiving in the Shrine of the Báb on behalf of the worldwide Bahá'í community, expressing gratitude for the unfailing divine protection vouchsafed to the Cause of God. In their solemn contemplation, their hearts were stirred as they recalled the indelible image of the Master left to posterity when, on this day a hundred years ago, having with His own hands laid that peerless Trust in its final place of repose, He rested His head upon the edge of the blessed casket of the Báb, and "sobbing aloud, wept with such a weeping that all those who were present wept with Him". They remembered, too, the manifold obstacles with which He had been confronted in constructing this sacred edifice and His unbounded relief at having accomplished one of the principal objectives of His Ministry. [21 March 2009]
- 2011-04-12 — After more than two years of extensive restoration work the Shrine of the Báb was complete. The project required the restoration and conservation of the interior and exterior of the original 1909 structure, as well as measures to strengthen the Shrine against seismic forces. An entirely new retrofit design – combining concrete, steel and carbon fibre wrap technology was needed for the whole building, from its foundation and original masonry to its octagon, drum and dome. More than 120 rock anchors were fixed into the mountain behind newly fortified retaining walls. [BWNS816; 12 April 2011]
- 2024-11-25 — The Bahá'í World Centre advised that the work on the Shrine of the Báb that had begun some four months earlier had been completed. The project implemented several features to enhance accessibility, particularly for wheelchairs. The main paths approaching the Shrine from both east and west were paved with Jerusalem Red Limestone, while the expansion of the plaza immediately in front of the Shrine was finished with Galil Gold Limestone—the same stone used for the floor of the Shrine’s colonnade and the terraces above and below on Mt. Carmel.
The expansion of the plaza was inspired by drawings prepared by William Sutherland Maxwell—Hand of the Cause and distinguished Canadian architect—who designed the Shrine’s superstructure in the early 1940s. The building’s harmonious blend of Eastern and Western architectural styles has made it a familiar and well-loved landmark.
[BWNS1764]
See some "before" images.
In its letter of 26 July 2024 it was stated that "the opportunity will be taken to carry out some preparatory work inside the Shrine so that, in due course, all rooms can be dedicated to prayer and worship as part of the single Shrine of the Báb."
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