Bahai Gardens in Haifa

bahai gardens haifa

Set in the heart of Haifa, the Bahai Gardens are possibly the most famous tour attraction of the city. Completed in 2001, the 18 terraced gardens flanking the shrine of the ‘Bab’ are a ‘must-see’ for anyone visiting Haifa or touring the area. The gardens are part of the Bahai world headquarters and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

History of the Bahai and Haifa’s Bahai Gardens

Bahai is one of the youngest religions in the world, incepted in Iran in the 19^th century. Its founder, Siyyid ‘Ali Muhammad, proclaimed in 1844 to be a ‘Báb’ (from Arabic: a Gate), a predictor of new revelations and prophets. Not surprisingly, he Muslim Shi’ites regime of Iran persecuted and eventually executed him. Two years later, in 1852, an Iranian nobleman named Mírzá Husayn-‘Alí claimed to be the God adressed by the ‘Bab’. Taking the title Bahá’u’lláh (in Persian: ‘Glory of the Lord’), he compiled his messages in writing and escaped from Iran. When he settled in Turkey, the Ottomans arrested the Bahá’u’lláh banished him in Akko‘s prison with his family. Later, when the Ottomans realized his pacifistic messages posed no threat to their rule, they released the Bahá’u’lláh to a ‘house arrest’ in Akko’s Khan el-Umdan.

Eventually, his disciples purchased a plot near Akko, where he spent the rest of his life. In his last years, the Bahá’u’lláh traveled to the Carmel and equated it with Mount Sinai and Mount Zion. He stated that the mountain where Elijah overcame the Ba’al prophets should be the burial site of his precursor, the ‘Báb.’ This was fulfilled in 1909 when the bones of Siyyid ‘Ali Muhammad were transferred from Iran and buried above the port of Haifa. A Golden domed sepulcher over the tomb was completed in 1953, and by 2001, the whole garden complex was complete and open to the public.

Covering an area of 50 acres, the terraced gardens combine a wide variety of flowers, bushes, and small trees, with water fountains and small sculptures set among them. Big trees along the garden’s perimeter set the serine park apart from urban views and daily noise.

Touring the Bahai Gardens

A guided tour in English is conducted every day at noon, free of charge. It takes about 45 minutes and includes walking down 600 steps. The lowest and the topmost terraces are open every day from 9:00 to 17:00. The Bab’s tomb is open until noon. Even if limited in time, a short stop at the top terrace is worth every effort. The spotless terraced gardens with stunning panoramas of Haifa and northern Israel are among the most beautiful viewpoints in Israel!