BEIJING, Sept. 24 -- Israel's Baha'i shrines and gardens have been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The two shrines, one on Mount Carmel in Haifa, the other near the Old City of Acre on Israel's northern coast, are the resting places of the founders of the Baha'i Faith.
The Shrine of the Bab on Mount Carmel is one of
Israel's most renowned beauty spots. Now it's been awarded world heritage status
by a UNESCO committee along with its sister shrine near the Old City of Acre.
The sites are the resting places of the founders of
the Baha'i faith - the Bab and Bahaullah.
The Baha'i faith was founded in the 1860s by a
Persian nobleman, Baha'u'llah, who claimed to be a new prophet in the series of
prophets that included Moses, Jesus and Muhammad.
There are 19 ascending garden terraces, intricately
planted with flowers, topiary, blossoming bushes and lawns and connected with
stone staircases, reaching two-thirds of a mile up the side of Mount Carmel.
Halfway up is the golden-domed Shrine of the Bab, and
at the summit is the site where the prophet Elijah fought the 400 priests of
Baal 3,000 years ago.
The gardens were opened in 2001 with Baha'i faithful
from around the world witnessing their inauguration.
They were designed by Fariburz Sahba, best known for
his plan of the Baha'i Lotus Temple in India.
Terraces in his Haifa design represent nine
concentric circles which appear to emanate from the Shrine of the Bab. The
shrine houses the grave of Siyyid Ali-Muhammad, a martyr of the Baha'i faith.
Douglas Moore, Director of the Office of Public
Information for the Baha'i international community, says recognition by UNESCO
as a world heritage site stresses the global importance of the Baha'i faith.
Baha'is believe that humanity must find a unifying
vision of the nature and purpose of life and the future of society.
The Baha'i shrine and gardens have become one of
Haifa's most frequented tourist attractions.
(Source: CCTV.com)
