The Báb – Herald of the Bahá’í Faith (1819-1850)

The Baha’i commemorates May 23, 1844, when the Bab, the herald of the Baha’i Faith, announced in Shiraz, Persia (now Iran), that he was the herald of a new messenger of God.

Baha'i House of Worship to be built on Mount Carmel in the near future.

Bahá'í literature directs that a House of Worship should be built in each city and town, and emphasizes that its doors must be open to all regardless of religion, or any other distinction. The Bahá'í laws emphasize that the spirit of the House of Worship must be a gathering place where people of all religions may worship God without denominational restrictions. The Bahá'í laws also stipulate that only the holy scriptures of the Bahá'í Faith and other religions can be read or chanted inside in any language; while readings and prayers may be set to music by choirs, no musical instruments may be played inside. Furthermore, no sermons may be delivered, and no ritualistic ceremonies practiced.

A site has been selected for a Bahá'í Temple in the vicinity of the Bahá'í World Centre on Mt. Carmel in Haifa, Israel. It is near the spot where Bahá'u'lláh chanted the Tablet of Carmel, the "Charter of the World Spiritual and Administrative Centers of the Faith on that mountain" according to Shoghi Effendi. A design by Mason Remey was approved by Shoghi Effendi. A photo of that model can be found in Baha'i World vol. XII, p. 548. It now stands in the upper hall of the Mansion of Bahji. In August 1971 the Universal House of Justice erected an obelisk on the site, on the side of which is the Greatest Name.

Obelisk marking the site of the future House of Worship. 

“The site for the first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár of the Holy Land has been selected . . . situated at the head of the Mountain of God, in close proximity to the Spot hallowed by the footsteps of Bahá’u’lláh, near the time-honoured Cave of Elijah, and associated with the revelation of the Tablet of Carmel, the Charter of the World Spiritual and Administrative Centres of the Faith on that mountain.”

Shoghi Effendi, Messages to the Bahá’í World, 1950–1957, p. 63.

To all National Spiritual Assemblies

JOYOUSLY ANNOUNCE FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS WORLD CENTRE. AFTER MANY YEARS DIFFICULT NEGOTIATIONS ERECTION OBELISK MARKING SITE FUTURE MASHRIQU'L-ADHKAR MOUNT CARMEL COMPLETED THUS FULFILLING PROJECT INITIATED BELOVED GUARDIAN EARLY YEARS CRUSADE. GARDENS BAHJI HAIFA EXTENDED BY DEVELOPMENT QUADRANT SOUTHEAST MANSION BAHA'U'LLAH AND ESTABLISHMENT FORMAL GARDEN SOUTHWEST CORNER PROPERTY SURROUNDING SHRINE BAB.

UNIVERSAL HOUSE OF JUSTICE