Temple Site (Haifa)
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A site has long since been chosen for a Mashriqu’l-Adhkár for the Haifa area, and the land belongs to the Bahá'í community. The site rests upon the highest point of Mount Carmel, which is at the western, or seaboard, end of the ridge. As such, The Mashriqu’l-Adhkár should be highly visible to pilgrims arriving in Haifa by ship in the future, probably particularly at night. However, for a variety of reasons, the time is not yet considered right to build the Temple. Instead, an obelisk marks the spot, visited by Bahá'u'lláh Himself, which will be the site of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár.
There was a delay of some years, after the carving of the obelisk, before it could be raised into position. The Israeli government refused to allow this pencil-shaped object to be erected because, they said, no building work was allowed on Mount Carmel beyond a certain height above sea level, for military reasons. However, permission was somehow granted for a hotel (the Dan Carmel) to be built, back along the ridge, but above the stipulated "no-build" level. The military taboo having clearly been broken, permission logically had then to be given for the erection of the obelisk.
The obelisk is square in cross-section, and marked with the Greatest Name on all sides.
