The smaller Bahá'í Gardens in Akko, a bit further north, form a wide circle framed with cypress trees and plantings surrounding the mansion where Bahá'u'lláh, known as the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá'í Faith, resided during his final years and where he is buried. "It's a bit hidden from the main road, and recently we purchased land between the gardens and the main road to expand the gardens so they will be a lot more visible to passersby," says Jalal Hatami, deputy secretary general of the Bahá'í International Community.

Open free of charge

Intended as respectful settings for the shrines, the two gardens are tended by 90 local workers from a variety of ethnic and religious communities, as well as a rotating cadre of Bahá'í volunteers from about a dozen countries. "The way we see it, we're trustees of these sacred, special places for all of humanity," says Hatami. "We don't see them just as our own, but for everybody. We're very happy to welcome visitors from around the world."

He says that no entrance fee is charged - and there are no gift shops on the premises - because members of the faith in Israel do not engage in any commercial activity. "This is the international headquarters of our faith," he says. "The building and maintenance come only from Bahá'í contributions."

Plants in the Bahá'í Gardens were chosen for their color and hardiness. 
(Photo courtesy of Baha'i World Centre. All rights reserved.)

In 2010 alone, some 760,000 tourists visited Haifa's Bahá'í Gardens, which stretch one kilometer (a bit more than half a mile) up the northern slope of Mount Carmel, and 400 meters (1,312 feet) across at the widest point. Of those, 7,500 were Bahá'í pilgrims who came to pray at the shrines.

Two new gardens planned

Within the next couple of years, additional Bahá'í gardens will open to the public. Ridvan Gardens, near Akko, was a favorite spot for Bahá'u'lláh, making it special to the faithful.

According to The Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh, the Prophet-Founder "was greatly attracted by the beauty of nature," and followers "tried wherever possible to create simple yet beautiful surroundings for him. They even brought flowering trees and shrubs from lands as far away as Persia and planted them in the Garden of Ridvan outside 'Akká, that Bahá'u'lláh loved to visit."

Once upon a time, 13 flour mills operated at Ridvan, relates Hatami. "The Na'aman River was split to power the mills, and this created a beautiful island where followers planted a Persian garden." Now the garden and the mills are being restored in collaboration with the Israel Antiquities Authority, says Hatami.

The other restored garden to open soon is Mazraeh Village, an estate Bahá'u'lláh once lived on. "The aqueduct crosses this beautiful mansion and orchards surrounding it," says Hatami.

Renovated shrine

On April 12, 2011, a grand ceremony was held at the Haifa Bahá'í Gardens to unveil the Shrine of the Báb's painstakingly restored gold dome, now covered in 11,790 glazed Portuguese porcelain tiles in more than 120 different sizes and shapes. Added to the original stone shrine in 1954, the dome was in need of cosmetic and structural work. At the same time, the entire building was retrofitted to reinforce it against earthquakes.

Research and design took more than three years prior to the start of the work, but the $6 million project was completed in two and a half years - ahead of schedule and under budget - with the assistance of volunteers from Mongolia, China, Ecuador, Kenya, Germany, Canada, South Africa, Vanuatu, India, the United States and New Zealand.