Sunday, July 20, 2008


The following accounts will hopefully give you a brief overview of what a Bahá’í pilgrimage is all about. For those of you who do not know much about the Bahá’i Faith, I would suggest the following web site: http://www.bahai.us/

I began my journey as a Bahá’i 18 years ago. Bahá’is cherish learning and independent investigation of the truth. And while a pilgrimage is a visit to a holy place, it also is a long journey or search, especially one of exalted purpose or moral significance. As you will see the Bahá’i holy places are beautiful they are also available for all of mankind. In fact while we were there the following happened:

Baha'i shrines chosen as World Heritage sites
July 8, 2008 - 2:24pm
The resting places of Baha'u'llah and the Báb, in Acre and nearby Haifa, Israel, respectively, have been designated World Heritage sites by UNESCO. Considered the two most sacred sites for Baha'is, the shrines of the founders of the Baha'i Faith possess “outstanding universal value” and should be considered part of the cultural heritage of humanity, said members of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee.Other World Heritage sites include the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids, the Taj Mahal, Stonehenge, the Vatican, the Old City of Jerusalem and the remains of the recently destroyed Bamiyan Buddhist statues in Afghanistan.
The Baha'i shrines are the first sites connected with a religious tradition born in modern times to be added to the list, which is maintained by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.The shrines are noteworthy for the formal gardens that surround them, blending design elements from many cultures. In addition to Baha'i pilgrims, they attract hundreds of thousands of visitors and tourists every year.The shrine of Baha'u'llah is the focal point of prayer for Baha'is throughout the world, giving it an importance comparable to the Western Wall in Jerusalem for Jews and the Kaaba in Mecca for Muslims. Born in Iran, Baha’u’llah was banished to Acre in what was then the Ottoman Empire, where he died in 1892. The Báb was executed in Iran in 1850; his remains were later moved to Haifa for burial.

Very exciting news! What I have done is break the posting into two parts one for the Bahá’í Holy Places and one of the Bahá’í pilgrims. So for a few pictures of the Holy Places go to:

1 comment:

Cole said...

The gardens are so beautiful! During the day and at night. - Heather