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Bahá’í Holy Places – Haifa and the Western Galilee

Israel (Europe and North America)

Date of Submission: 30/06/2000
Criteria: (iii)(vi)
Category: Cultural
Submission prepared by:
Delegation Permanente d'Israel aupres de l'UNESCO
Coordinates:
34°30' N / 32°48' E
Ref.: 1476

Description

The historical connection between the Bahá'í faith and the Holy Land started in 1868 with the arrival in Acre of Bah'a'llah, the prophet founder of the faith, as a prisoner. He was persecuted and arrested in his homeland Persia, and lived in exile in Ottoman colonies in Baghdad, Istanbul and Edirna.

The Bahá'í Faith was founded in 1844 in the city of Shiraz in Persia, as a mono theistic and independent religion whose fundamental purpose is, according to Baha'u'llah, "to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men". In about 150 years it has grown and now numbers about 6 million believers who live in more than 200 countries worldwide.

Haifa, Acre and the coastal plain of the western Galilee are the seat of Bahá'í holy places which are composed of clusters of buildings in Greek architectural style and surrounding terraced and monument gardens.

It was in these clusters of several detached sites on Mount Carmel, in the Old City of Acre, and Nahariya, where Baha'u'llah sojourned and wrote by divine inspiration, the major part of the holy booLs that form the source of authority for the Bahá'ís . These detached clusters collectively represent one distinctive period of religious history. They are an integral part of the pilgrimage route for thousands of Bahá'í pilgrims and places of interest for an increasing number of Israelis and tourists all year round.

Each site reflects in its distinctive way the social and architectural trends of the time, integrates into unique topographical panoramas, and exhibits unmatched standards of beauty. Some of the buildings built in the previous century have undergone thorough conservation and restoration by the Bahá'ís and continue to be carefully maintained.