Terraces (Baháʼí)

{{short description|Garden terraces around the Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel}}

File:TerracesBenGurion2.jpg and its terraces]]

The Baháʼí Terraces, or the Hanging Gardens of Haifa, are garden terraces on Mount Carmel in Haifa, and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Israel. Completed in 2001, there are 19 terraces and more than 1,500 steps ascending the mountain.{{Cite web|title=The Baha'i Gardens|url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-baha-i-gardens|access-date=2021-02-28|website=www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org}} The central terrace has the Shrine of the Báb, one of the main religious sites of the Baháʼí Faith. The architect was Fariborz Sahba from Iran,{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}} and the structural engineers were Karban and Co. from Haifa.

The terraces are part of a complex of Baháʼí holy places in Haifa, Acre, and western Galilee that were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2008.{{Cite web| url = https://whc.unesco.org/en/news/452 | accessdate = 2008-07-08 | date = 2008-07-08 | title = Three new sites inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List | author = UNESCO World Heritage Centre}}{{Cite web| url = https://whc.unesco.org/archive/2007/whc07-31com-8be.pdf |format=PDF| title = Convention concerning the protection of the world cultural and natural heritage | page = 34 | author = World Heritage Committee | date = 2007-07-02 | accessdate = 2008-07-08}}

The gardens rest in the neighborhoods of Wadi Nisnas and Hadar HaCarmel.

Symbolism

The terraces represent the first eighteen disciples of the Báb, who were designated "Letters of the Living",[http://info.bahai.org/article-1-6-5-3.html Info.bahai.org: The Projects on Mount Carmel] although no terraces are connected with particular individuals.{{Cite web |url=http://bahai-library.com/uhj/letters.quddus.dawnbreakers.html#4 |title=UHJ letter: Letters of Living; Dawn-Breakers; Quddus; Terraces |access-date=2009-03-31 |archive-date=2016-03-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303230304/http://bahai-library.com/uhj/letters.quddus.dawnbreakers.html#4 |url-status=dead }}

Design

Nine concentric circles provide the main geometry of the eighteen terraces. Just as the identification of a circle presupposes a centre, so the terraces have been conceived as generated from the Shrine of the Báb. The eighteen terraces plus the one terrace of the Shrine of the Báb make nineteen terraces total. Nineteen is a significant number within both the Baháʼí and Bábí religions.

The gardens have elements of the Persian gardens of Shiraz, Iran, the Nishat Bagh gardens of Jammu and Kashmir, India and English gardens,{{Cite web |url=http://www.ganbahai.org.il/en/learn-more/design-management/carmel-design |title=Design Features of the Terraced Gardens on Mount Carmel |access-date=2012-02-28 |archive-date=2012-01-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120123101713/http://www.ganbahai.org.il/en/learn-more/design-management/carmel-design |url-status=dead }}Afnan, Elham (2002). [https://bahaiworld.bahai.org/library/symbols-of-transformation Symbols of Transformation: The Gardens and Terraces on Mount Carmel]. isolating the site from the noise of the surroundings and connecting the different Baháʼí buildings on Mount Carmel together.{{Cite web |url=http://www.ganbahai.org.il/en/learn-more/design-management/ |title=Yael Hammerman: Distinctive Design of the Baháʼí Gardens |access-date=2012-02-28 |archive-date=2019-04-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190407140631/http://www.ganbahai.org.il/en/learn-more/design-management/ |url-status=dead }}

Fariborz Sahba began work in 1987 designing the gardens and oversaw construction. The terraces were opened to the public in June 2001.{{cite encyclopedia |last= Momen |first= Moojan| authorlink = Moojan Momen |encyclopedia= Baháʼí Encyclopedia Project |title= Baháʼí World Center |year= 2009 |publisher= National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of the United States |location= Evanston, IL |url= http://www.bahai-encyclopedia-project.org/index.php?view=article&catid=36%3Aadministrationinstitutions&id=74%3Abahai-world-center-&option=com_content&Itemid=74}} Beginning at its base, the gardens extend almost {{convert|1|km|mi|1|abbr=off|spell=in}} up the side of Mount Carmel, covering some {{convert|200,000|m2|0|abbr=off}} of land. The gardens are linked by a set of stairs flanked by twin streams of running water cascading down the mountainside through the steps and terrace bridges.[http://www.recreatingeden.com/index.php?pid=8&season=03&episode=30 Gardens of Worship: Recreating Eden (season 3, episode 30, 2006)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301221838/http://www.recreatingeden.com/index.php?pid=8&season=03&episode=30 |date=2012-03-01 }}

Water and ecology

The irrigation system includes a computer which, based on meteorologic data it receives, controls hundreds of valves to distribute water throughout the gardens by sprinkling and dripping. This is done at night and in the early morning, to avoid wasting water by evaporation. The water that flows alongside the stairs is circulating in a closed system within each terrace, so that little water is wasted.{{Cite web |url=http://www.ganbahai.org.il/en/learn-more/design-management/environmental-considerations |title=Baháʼí World Centre: Environmental Considerations in the Baháʼí Gardens |access-date=2009-03-31 |archive-date=2019-04-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190407140631/http://www.ganbahai.org.il/en/learn-more/design-management/environmental-considerations |url-status=dead }}

Tourism

In 2013, 917,031 tourists and 8,000 Baháʼí pilgrims visited the gardens.{{Cite journal|last=Kreiner|first=Noga Collins|last2=Shmueli|first2=Deborah F.|last3=Gal|first3=Michal Ben|date=|title=Understanding conflicts at religious-tourism sites: The Baha'i World Center, Israel |url=https://www.academia.edu/15426699/Understanding_conflicts_at_religious_tourism_sites_The_Bahai_World_Center_Israel |journal=Tourism Management Perspectives|language=en|volume=16|pages=230|issn=2211-9736|via=}}

Haifa's Mayor Amram Mitzna described the gardens as the eighth wonder of the world. "We have been very lucky," he said, "not many cities get a park that is so incredibly beautiful – free of charge."

Gallery

File:Shrine of the Báb in Haifa 6801-11.jpg|Aerial view of the bridge terrace behind the Shrine of the Báb

File:Bahá'í gardens by David Shankbone.jpg|Downward view of the upper terraces

File:Israel - Haifa - Bahai Gardens 004.jpg|Downward view of the upper terraces

File:Bahai Garden in Haifa Israel.jpg|Terraces at night

File:Baha'i cactus gardens Haifa.jpg|Succulent garden near the Shrine of the Báb

References

External links

{{cite web

|title=The Baháʼí Gardens - Official Website

|publisher=Baháʼí World Centre

|url=http://www.ganbahai.org.il/en

|date=2009-03-20

}}

{{cite web

|title=BahaiPictures.com - A Comprehensive Collection of Photographs of the Baháʼí Terraces and Gardens

|url=http://www.BahaiPictures.com

|date=2009-12-27

}}

{{cite web

|title = Haifa's Majestic Bahai Gardens - A UNESCO World Heritage Site

|publisher = Israel News

|url = http://www.infolive.tv/en/infolive.tv-27711-israelnews-haifas-majestic-bahai-gardens-unesco-world-heritage-site

|date = 2009-03-31

|url-status = bot: unknown

|archiveurl = https://archive.today/20081202233618/http://www.infolive.tv/en/infolive.tv-27711-israelnews-haifas-majestic-bahai-gardens-unesco-world-heritage-site

|archivedate = 2008-12-02

}}