Bahá’í House of Worship is the central place of worship, or temple of the Bahá’í Faith. In Arabic a House of Worship is called a Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (Arabic: مشرق اﻻذكار) or "Dawning-place of the praise of God". This title applies technically to any place or group devoted to the worship of God.
The teachings of the religion envision Houses of Worship being surrounded by a number of dependencies dedicated to social, humanitarian, educational, and scientific pursuits, although none have yet been built to such an extent.[1][2]
Twelve Houses of Worship have been built around the world, although only eleven are currently standing, including eight continental Houses of Worship and three local House of Worship (one was demolished in 1963, fifteen years after an earthquake caused structural damage - see below). Bahá’í communities own many properties where Houses of Worship remain to be constructed as the Bahá’í community grows and develops further. One local House of Worship and two national Houses of Worship are currently under construction.
Houses of Worship are open to the public, and are exclusively reserved for worship, where sermons are prohibited and only scriptural readings may be read. Most Bahá’í meetings occur in local Bahá’í centres, individuals' homes, or rented facilities.[1]
Past Houses of Worship[edit]
`Ishqábád, Turkmenistan[edit]
The first Bahá’í House of Worship was constructed in the city of `Ishqábád, then ruled by Russia, then by the Soviet Union and now the capital of Turkmenistan. The design of the first Bahá’í House of Worship was started in 1902, and was completed in 1908. The design was prepared by Ostad Ali-Akbar Banna, and the construction was supervised by Vakílu'd-Dawlih, who was later named as one of the nineteen Apostles of Bahá’u’lláh.[2][3]
`Ishqábád is located in the desert plain of western Turkmenistan near the foothills of the Alborz Mountains. Under the protection and freedom given by the Russian authorities, the number of Bahá’ís there rose to over 1,000 and for the first time anywhere in the world a true Bahá’í community was established, with its own schools, medical facilities, cemetery, etc. Eventually the Bahá’ís in `Ishqábád decided to build the institution of the spiritual and social heart of the Bahá’í community: the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár.
The House of Worship itself was surrounded by gardens. At the four corners of the garden were four buildings: a school, a hostel where travelling Bahá’ís were entertained, a small hospital, and a building for groundskeepers. The Bahá’ís lived as much as possible in proximity to the House of Worship. It was the centre of the community materially, as well as spiritually. The House of Worship in `Ishqábád has been the only house of worship thus far to have the humanitarian subsidiaries associated with the institution built along side it.[3]
After serving the community for two decades, the House of Worship was expropriated by the Soviet authorities in 1928 and leased back to the Bahá’ís. This lasted until 1938, when it was fully secularized by the communist government and turned into an art gallery. A 1948 earthquake seriously damaged the building and rendered it unsafe; the heavy rains of the following years weakened the structure, and it was demolished in 1963 and the site converted into a public park.[2]
Current Houses of Worship[edit]
Sydney, Australia[edit]
The House of Worship in Sydney, Australia was dedicated on September 17, 1961, and open to the public after four years of construction. The initial design by Charles Mason Remey was approved in 1957, and given to Sydney architect John Brogan to develop and complete. The final piece, atop the dome, had to be lifted into place by helicopter, and this was featured on television news. The surrounding gardens contain native plants including waratahs, several grevillea including the unique caleyi, the native pea, wattle and wooody pear, plus three species of eucalypts. The property is set high in a natural bushland setting of 380,000 square metres in Ingleside, a northern suburb overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Battambang, Cambodia[edit]
The Battambang, Cambodia temple is the first local House of Worship to be completed. Plans for the constructions of the House of Worship were announced on April 21st, 2012 by the Universal House of Justice along with plans for two national Temples and four other local temples.
The temple was designed by Cambodian architect Sochet Vitou Tang, who is a practicing Buddhist, and integrates distinctive Cambodian architectural principles.[4] A dedication ceremony and official opening conference took place on September 1-2, 2017, attended by Cambodian dignitaries, locals, and representatives of Bahá'í communities throughout southeast Asia.[5][6]
Santiago, Chile[edit]
In late 2002, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Chile and the Universal House of Justice announced a competition for the design of the mother temple of South America, to be built outside Santiago. The selection chosen was designed by Siamak Hariri of Toronto, Canada. Its sides are composed of translucent panels of alabaster and cast glass. The interior structure is lattice structure of steel supporting the inside of the upper dome.
A public dedication ceremony took place on October 13th, 2016, after fourteen years of construction and many setbacks. The dedication ceremony was attended by 500 guests from Chilean government and civil society as well as representatives from countries throughout the Americas.[7]
Frankfurt, Germany[edit]
- See also: Dedication of Temple in Germany
The Mother Temple of Europe is located at the foot of the Taunus Mountains of Germany, in the village of Langenhain, in the Frankfurt suburb of Hofheim, Hesse. The design was made by Teuto Rocholl. It was completed in 1964 and is constructed of steel, aluminum and glass. Five hundred and forty diamond-shaped windows give the dome an optical lightness and permit the sunlight to play in it. The outstanding characteristic acoustics of this setting are created by the reverberation within the dome and the resonance of its myriad window ledges.
New Delhi, India[edit]
The Bahá’í temple in New Delhi, India was completed in 1986 and serves as the Mother Temple of the Indian Subcontinent. It has won numerous architectural awards and been featured in hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles. The architect was an Iranian who now lives in Canada, named Fariborz Sahba. Inspired by the lotus flower, its design is composed of 27 free-standing marble clad "petals" arranged in clusters of three to form nine sides. Slightly more than 40 meters tall, its surface shining white marble, the temple at times seems to float above its 26 acre (105,000 m²) nine surrounding ponds.
Panama City, Panama[edit]
The House of Worship in Panama City, Panama was completed in 1972, and designed by Peter Tillotson[8]. It serves as the mother temple of Latin America. It is perched on a high cliff, "Cerro Sonsonate" ("Singing Hill") overlooking the city, and is constructed of local stone laid in a pattern reminiscent of Native American fabric designs. The dome is covered with thousands of small oval tiles, and the entrance gates of the temple are constructed in a unique three-dimensional design each consisting of an equilateral triangle of three vertical posts with multiple rows of bars stretching between them at various angles, each row of which gradually changes from vertical to horizontal. A notable feature of the design is that there is no glass in the doors or windows.
Apia, Samoa[edit]
The House of Worship in Tiapapata, 8 km from Apia, Samoa was completed in 1984 and serves as the Mother Temple of the Pacific Islands. The design was by Hossein Amanat, and was dedicated by Malietoa Tanumafili II, King of Samoa (1913-2007), who was the first reigning Bahá’í monarch. Its 30 meter domed structure is open to the public for individual prayer, commemoration of Bahá’í holy days, and weekly devotional meetings. The structure is completely open to the island breezes.
Wilmette, United States[edit]
The House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, was completed in 1953 after more than 30 years of construction; the Wilmette House of Worship is the largest and the oldest surviving temple. Its cornerstone was laid by ‘Abdu’l-Baha in 1912 and construction officially began in 1921. Known as the "Mother Temple of the West" it stands on the shores of Lake Michigan. The cladding is several cast panels made out of white portland cement concrete with both clear and white quartz aggregate, which are placed over the temple's steel superstructure. It is the world's first structure to use the cast panel technique.
The principal architect was Louis Bourgeois, who took eight years to design the temple. The diameter of the dome is 90 feet (27.5 meters) and the height of the auditorium interior is 138 feet (42 meters). The auditorium is capable of holding 1,192 people seated. Below the temple is an audio-visual auditorium known as Foundation Hall, displays, and the Cornerstone area where ‘Abdu’l-Baha placed the temple's cornerstone. One of the driving forces in its creation and progress was Corinne True, who became known as the "Mother of the Temple".
It has received numerous design awards, and is a prominent Chicago-area landmark. It is listed as one of the Seven Wonders of Illinois by the Illinois Bureau of Tourism, and it is on the United States Register of Historic Places.
Kampala, Uganda[edit]
The Mother Temple of Africa situated on Kikaya Hill on the outskirts of Kampala, Uganda, was designed by Charles Mason Remey. Its foundation stone was laid in January 1958, and it was dedicated on 13 January 1961. The building is more than 130 feet high, and over 100 meters in diameter at the base. The dome, made up of lace-like tiles rises over 124 feet high and is 44 feet in diameter. The foundation goes 10 feet underground to protect it from earthquakes common in this part of the world. The green dome is made of fixed mosaic tiles from Italy, and the lower roof tiles are from Belgium. The walls of the temple are of pre-cast stone quarried in Uganda. The colored glass in the wall panels was brought from Germany. The fifty acre property includes the House of Worship, extensive gardens, a guesthouse, and an administrative center.
Norte Del Cauca, Colombia[edit]
Matunda Soy, Kenya[edit]
Future Houses of Worship[edit]
Ṭíḥran, Irán[edit]
While a site has been selected, and plans drawn for the Bahá’í Temple of Tehran, Iran, the construction or planning of such a temple is impossible in the current political situation in Iran.
Upon the request of Shoghi Effendi, Charles Mason Remey provided a design for this House of Worship. A photograph of the design is found in Baha'i World vol XIV, p. 495.
Haifa, Israel[edit]
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 Charles Mason Remey was approved by Shoghi Effendi. A model based on the design was constructed and is on display in the upper hall of the mansion at Bahji. See a photograph from the Bahá'í World. In August 1971 the Universal House of Justice erected an obelisk on the site, on the side of which is the Greatest Name.
Others in preparation[edit]
The House of Worship for South America, on the outskirts of Santiago, was the last Mother Temple for an entire continent. This opened its doors during the year 2016.
In the Ridván Message of 2012, the Universal House of Justice called for preparatory work to begin, allowing two countries, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Papua New Guinea, to have Houses of Worship for their own (national) use. In addition, the first five regional Houses of Worship were announced. These are to be for particular clusters within Cambodia, Colombia, India, Kenya and Vanuatu (the island of Tanna). In a message of 1st August, 2014, [9], it was announced that in four of these seven cases, the preparatory work had reached the stage of choosing architects. The message also explained that there now is a Department at the World Centre devoted to the progress of Bahá'u'lláh's injunction to create Mashriqu'l-Adhkárs. In their Ridván Message, the Universal House of Justice characterized the communities chosen to host these new Houses of Worship:
The Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, described by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as “one of the most vital institutions of the world”, weds two essential, inseparable aspects of Bahá’í life: worship and service. The union of these two is also reflected in the coherence that exists among the community-building features of the Plan, particularly the burgeoning of a devotional spirit that finds expression in gatherings for prayer and an educational process that builds capacity for service to humanity. The correlation of worship and service is especially pronounced in those clusters around the world where Bahá’í communities have significantly grown in size and vitality, and where engagement in social action is apparent. [...] It is within these clusters that, in the coming years, the emergence of a local Mashriqu’l-Adhkár can be contemplated.[10]
Other sites for the future[edit]
As of 1963, sites in the following cities had also been chosen for future temples; [11]
| South America | |
| City | Country |
|---|---|
| Buenos Aires | Argentina |
| La Paz | Bolivia |
| Rio de Janeiro | Brazil |
| Bogotá | Colombia |
| Asunción | Paraguay |
| Quito | Ecuador |
| Lima | Peru |
| Montevideo | Uruguay |
| Caracas | Venezuela |
| Europe | |
| City | Country |
|---|---|
| Rome | Italy |
| Vienna | Austria |
| London | United Kingdom |
| Oslo | Norway |
| Madrid | Spain |
| Paris | France |
| Stockholm | Sweden |
| Bern | Switzerland |
| Istanbul | Turkey |
| Africa | |
| City | Country |
|---|---|
| Benghazi | Libya |
| Meknes | Morocco |
| Cairo | Egypt |
| Johannesburg | South Africa |
| Tunis | Tunisia |
| Asia-Pacific | |
| City | Country |
|---|---|
| Tokyo | Japan |
| Yangon | Myanmar |
| Auckland | New Zealand |
| Suva | Fiji |
| Jakarta | Indonesia |
| Asia | |
| City | Country |
|---|---|
| Karachi | Pakistan |
| Baghdad | Iraq |
| Tehran | Iran |
| Haifa | Israel |
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Momen, M. (1997). "The Bahá'í Community". A Short Introduction to the Bahá’í Faith. Oxford, UK: One World Publications. ISBN 1851682090.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Rafati, V.; Sahba, F. (1989). "Bahai temples". Encyclopædia Iranica.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Baha'i House of Worship - Ashkabad, Central Asia". The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States. 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-03.
- ↑ "Spirit and aspirations of a people: Reflections of Temple's architect". Bahá’í World News Service. 31 August 2017. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
- ↑ "Preparations for Temple inauguration accelerate | Bahá'í World News Service (BWNS)". Bahá’í World News Service. 2017-08-11. Retrieved 2017-08-30.
- ↑ Bahá’í World News Service (BWNS). House of Worship in Battambang, Cambodia
- ↑ "Temple hailed as a transcendental 'gift' to Chile and the continent". Bahá’í World News Service. 13 October 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
- ↑ Ridvan 1967 letter by the Universal House of Justice
- ↑ Message of the Universal House of Justice, 1st August, 2014
- ↑ "Riḍván 2012 - To the Bahá'ís of the World". The Universal House of Justice. 21 April 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
- ↑ Information Statistical and Comparative, Including the Achievements of the Ten Year International Bahá’í Teaching & Consolidation Plan 1953-1963
External links[edit]
- The Bahá’ís: Bahá’í Houses of Worship
- The Bahá’í Houses of Worship around the world as seen from Google Earth
- Official Website of the Bahá’í House of Worship in Australia
- Official Website Bahá’í House of Worship in Chile
- Bahá’í World News Service: Translucent temple for Chile
- Official Website Bahá’í House of Worship in Germany
- Official Website Bahá’í House of Worship in India
- The official Website Bahá’í House of Worship in Samoa
- Baha'i Community of Uganda celebrates its 50th anniversary
- Official Website of the Bahá’í House of Worship in the United States
