The Bahai Gardens on Mount Carmel

The Bahá’í Gardens in Haifa comprise a staircase of nineteen terraces extending all the way up the northern slope of Mount Carmel. At its heart stands the golden-domed Shrine of the Báb, which is the resting place of the Prophet-Herald of the Bahá’í Faith. These terraced gardens have been designed as waves of light, or circles, with all lines and curves directing attention toward the Shrine on the central terrace.

The geometry of the complex is built around the axis connecting it to the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh, the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá’í Faith in Bahjí. Bahjí is just north of Acre/’Akko and it is, for Bahá’ís, the holiest spot on earth.

In July 2008, the Bahá’í Gardens in Haifa and ‘Akko were inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, in recognition of their “outstanding universal value” as holy places and places of pilgrimage for the followers of the Bahá’í Faith.

The Bahá’í religion is one of the major independent religions in the world and as such has its own scriptures and laws.  Bahá’í beliefs address such essential themes as the oneness of God and religion, the oneness of humanity and freedom from prejudice, the inherent nobility of the human being, the development of spiritual qualities, the fundamental equality of the sexes, and the importance of education. These principles and beliefs guide the actions of the Bahá’ís individually and collectively.

Learn more by visiting http://www.ganbahai.org.il/en/learn-more/

VISITING THE GARDENS

The Bahá’í Gardens in Haifa are among the most popular sites in Israel, visited annually by close to a million people.

There are no fees for entry into the gardens or for the guided tours.

The four sections of the gardens that are open to drop-in visitorsseven days a week are:

•          The Shrine of the Báb and the gardens immediately adjacent to the Shrinethat can be accessed from 80, Hatzionut Avenue(9:00 AM to 12:00 PM.)
•          The outer gardens that can be accessed from 80, Hatzionut Avenue (9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.)
•          The view point that can be accessed from 61, Yefe Nof Street (9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.)
•          The entrance plaza to the terraces at the foot of the mountain in front of the UNESCO square (9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.)

WALK -IN TOURS:

These tours operate daily with the exception of Wednesdays.

Schedule and tour details can be found at http://www.ganbahai.org.il/en/tours/

ORGANIZED TOURS:

To organize a tour for groups of 25 people or more with special interests, visitors can click on “Arrange a tour”, and fill in the online form at least a week before the proposed visit.

A suitable program will be organized keeping their special interests in mind.

For any further information, please call +972 (4) 831 3131, Sunday to Thursday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM  or email ganbahai@bwc.org.

The gardens are closed on Bahá’í Holy Days and Yom Kippur. In rainy weather, they may be closed temporarily as a safety measure.